


Up Ladybug

by Tenebrae_Vesper



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Action/Adventure, Agreste Family Drama, Alternate Universe - No Akuma (Miraculous Ladybug), Antagonistic Félix Agreste | Chat Noir, Bridgette's Good Luck Charm & Félix's Bad Luck Curse (Miraculous Ladybug PV), Chat Noir/Ladybug Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Félix Being a Jerk (Miraculous Ladybug PV), Identity Reveal, Mahou Shoujo, Miraculous Ladybug PV, Mystery, Partner Betrayal, Quantic Kids (Miraculous Ladybug) - Freeform, Slow Burn Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 34,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28754058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tenebrae_Vesper/pseuds/Tenebrae_Vesper
Summary: As heroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir have teamed up to battle against the mysterious Papillon, who wants to annihilate the duo and spread chaos across Paris. As civilians, Bridgette and Félix are dealing with unrequited love and a curse. While the love of one could break the curse of the other, neither of them are prepared to deal with the consequences of their decisions...
Relationships: Bridgette/Félix (Miraculous Ladybug PV)
Comments: 32
Kudos: 30





	1. The Butterfly

**Author's Note:**

> I have to be honest, there are several reasons for writing this story. I had written a different Miraculous Ladybug story, but due to some issues I ran into, I had to overhaul and rewrite it.
> 
> For starters, I always wanted to write a story based on the scrapped Miraculous Ladybug PV Trailer, based on what could've been. However, when I wrote my first story, I realized that I rushed headfirst into something that required a lot of build up and development. While I haven't gotten any criticism, I knew that something was wrong and that I made a huge mistake. The concept in itself has very scarce information and I've been searching through blogs and forums to learn more about it, reading other people's theories, analysis and assumptions.
> 
> I believe that I had finally figured out what I wanted to write. Rather than having the characters already in the middle of development, I realized that I needed to set the story back to the beginning and start from there. I needed to show the progress, rather than just write that there was one. That was, what I believe, my biggest mistake concerning how I'm working with two very complex characters who have a really complicated relationship.
> 
> This prologue is supposed to show the endgame, what I am working towards and what is to be expected. If you ever watched the Miraculous Ladybug PV Trailer, you will know the mixed feelings one might have after seeing the epic ending scene, only to be met with the words ''COMING SOON'', then realize that this will never happen. The next chapter, which I will post next week, will show the beginning.
> 
> Also, the reason I titled the new story ''Up Ladybug'' was because of the song playing during the Miraculous Ladybug PV trailer. It may be focusing on Ladybug, but reading in-between the lines reveals that it is from Chat Noir's perspective. Hence, both of the heroes are featured in the title in their own way.
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy it!

**Entry 0**

**The Butterfly**

_''Up ladybug, never doubt, 'til we find one way, forever. Up ladybug, got a goal, we'll be fine some day, together.''_

_– **Up Ladybug** by Noam Kaniel (Miraculous Ladybug PV)_

**xXxXxXx**

Dark clouds passed over the night sky, swirling ominously as the wind blew across the City of Lights. The residents of Paris, stunned by this strange phenomenon, either stood on the streets, mesmerized, or had already taken cover in their homes, observing the sky in fear and anticipation.

A magnificent butterfly had formed on the sky, shimmering in the colours of the rainbow and illuminating the city, sparks of light tracing across its outlines. Still, despite the breathtaking sight, this butterfly was the sign of something sinister, an omen looming over the city and its residents.

While many sought shelter, one person was undeterred by the butterfly omen. She was standing on the rooftop of a building, right in front of the butterfly, her long red hair ribbons billowing in the wind. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on the mission at hand. She knew that this would be the final confrontation, that her enemy would go all out this time. The safety of her loved ones fell on her shoulders.

Her heart started to race when she heard footsteps behind her and smiled. She relaxed a little, aware that it was just her partner, letting her know that she wouldn't be alone in this fight.

''It seems like Papillon had decided to finally show himself,'' Chat Noir said in a concerned tone, his hands on his hips and his tail belt billowing behind him, observing the butterfly omen. ''This will be a rough fight, M'lady.''

Suddenly, sparks of fire started to fly from below them as a strong wind blew at them. The two looked down as a giant airship flew up, bearing the same butterfly symbol that had haunted them since the very start of their journey. It wasn't the only one, as several other airships took off in the distance. Pillars of blueish-green and purple light energy exploded from the ground and into the air, damaging the surrounding structures and buildings.

The duo knew that the man behind haunting sight was in one of those airships, waiting patiently for them and observing the destruction he had caused. They knew that Papillon would make sure that they got the message – they would either surrender, or perish alongside everyone else who dared to oppose him.

It was a daunting task, but they weren't afraid. They had their ups and downs, their own challenges and demons they had confronted and managed to overcome. They haven't chosen to become superheroes, but in the end, they embraced their new lives. Despite the issues they had, despite the mistakes they made, they knew that they could trust each other.

They were in this together.

''Papillon may be a formidable opponent, Chat Noir, but I know that we will defeat him,'' Ladybug said, smiling as she glanced at her partner. Chat Noir nodded confidently and the two looked back at the airship. ''We will find a way to end this battle, together.''


	2. A Miraculous Tale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the support folks!
> 
> Now, before I move on with the story, I need to lay down some information regarding the recurring civilian characters. During the 2D era, the concept of a superhero team, known as the Quantic Kids, was brought up, but eventually scrapped. Aside from Ladybug and Chat Noir, the other teammates would've been Melodie, Kid Mime, Mercury, Sparrow (who was replaced by Kid Mime) and Gavroche. So far, the only ones who appeared in canon were Sparrow and Mercury (cameo), while the rest of the Quantic Kids are more or less fanon characters.
> 
> For this story, I decided to make their civilian identities Bridgette's friends, those being Allegra (Melodie), Claude (Kid Mime) and Allan (Mercury). Another recurring civilian and friend of Bridgette's would be my OC Sophie Renard, who is based on the concept version of Alya Césaire/Rena Rouge, and Amber Bourgeois, who is not only the concept version of Chloé Bourgeois/Queen Bee, but also a hoax character created during the time when people speculated who would be the Bee Miraculous holder. Now, I don't think I will give the Quantic Kids their super powers, as this story focuses on the PV!Concept, which appeared pre-Quantic Kids era, but I might leave some references to their powers here and there.
> 
> Another thing to note is that, in this story, the only Miraculous that exist are the Ladybug and Cat Miraculous, meaning that other Miraculous, such as the Butterfly Miraculous, won't appear. Furthermore, Tikki and Plagg are the Kwamis of Fortune and Misfortune rather than Creation and Destruction. This also means that Ladybug and Chat Noir don't have access to Lucky Charm/Miraculous Ladybug and Cataclysm, also leading to a different combat style. As for Papillon, you will have to wait for another chapter to get an explanation on how the Akuma would work in this universe. In addition, the transformation described in this chapter, it is a mix of the PV!Ladybug transformation and the early 3D!Ladybug prototype transformation, the one where she ends looking down from the rooftop during night.
> 
> This entry is mostly an introduction that focuses on Bridgette and her origin story as Ladybug (with more PV!Trailer scenes), as well as her encounter with the person I'd describe as the main antagonist, as he affects her on a much personal level that any other villain character in this story. On the other hand, what can one expect from someone that his own creator described as ''...mysterious and evil... I couldn't imagine why she'd love someone like him,...''
> 
> Well, I can imagine why and I'm here to tell his story.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter! ;3

**Entry 1**

**A Miraculous Tale**

_''Trapped me in your lies...''_

_– **Never Lose** by Ace Attorney_

**xXxXxXx**

''Where is it?''

Bridgette Cheng muttered under her breath as she looked around on her table for the letter she had written the evening before. She made sure she would leave it on the table, in plain sight, but somehow, the latter had vanished and she had to hurry up and find it or she would be late for school. She dove under the table, wondering if it had possibly fallen under it when she prepared herself for school. To her luck, it did and she managed to grab it. Unfortunately, as she attempted to got up, she hit her head on the table, letting out a cry of pain.

''Oww…'' Bridgette rubbed the back of her head, but quickly composed herself, smiling in excitement. Even a little mishap like this couldn't stop her from feeling glad that she managed to find the letter. She grabbed her dark red backpack, which had two orange flower prints on it, and stuffed the letter into it. Then, she took a brief look at herself in the mirror, just to make sure once again that she was ready for the day.

Her long dark blue hair, which included an ahoge, was tied back into two pigtails. She was wearing a white blouse with a button-up top, a black three-quarter-length blazer, blue jean shorts with folded ends and brown shoes. She felt quite content with her outfit of choice, her bluebell eyes lighting up in excitement. She then hurried to the trapdoor that led to her room and down the stairs, flinching briefly when she heard it slam down.

She then passed the kitchen and living room area, rushing down two flights of stairs before finally reaching a hallway that led to the tea shop, below the apartment. The tea shop, called _Dynastie du Lóng_ , was managed by elderly woman, around the same height as Bridgette, with short black hair and dark eyes, and dressed in a blue blouse, black pants and flats.

''Hi, Gran Mei!'' Bridgette greeted her grandmother, leaning over the counter and almost knocking over the cup that was on it. She managed to catch it before it fell over, breathing a sigh of relief and placing it back on the counter. Mei Cheng, on the other hand, just sighed in exasperation over her granddaughter's antics. Bridgette gave her a sheepish smile. ''Don't worry, I'm fine.''

''I hope that the reason for your rush is because you're dealing with some kind of life-or-death situation,'' Mei told her.

''I think it depends on what either of us think is a life-or-death situation,'' Bridgette replied vaguely, shrugging. Mei rose an eyebrow, but decided not to comment further, having already a feeling that it was something she probably didn't want to be involved into.

''Anyways, I wanted to tell you that I had planned to clean out the closet in my room and I wondered whether you would like to take a look at the stuff that is there. Frankly, I wanted to get rid off everything, but I thought you might find something of interest in that mess,'' she said.

''Sure,'' Bridgette replied, walking over to the door and checking the time on her smartphone. ''I'll take a look at it after school. Bye!''

''Bridgette, wait-'' Mei called after her granddaughter, but Bridgette already left, rushing towards the school. She sighed, adding in a flat tone, ''You forgot your umbrella.''

She had seen the weather report this morning announcing that there would be a rainstorm around noon and hoped to remind her granddaughter to bring an umbrella to school before she left, but it was obvious that Bridgette's head was already in the clouds, with her, as usual, not paying attention. She could only hope that Bridgette would have the foresight to ask a friend of hers who had an umbrella or a ride home to come with them.

**xXx**

Bridgette ran through the streets towards her school, having to briefly skid to a halt when the traffic lights turned red for her in order to avoid not only colliding with the pedestrians in front of her, but also running into the oncoming traffic. She was swaying slightly on her feet as she waited for the lights to turn green, being in a really good mood.

_This is it! This is what I worked on the entire night!_

She thought about the letter in her backpack, remembering how she spent ages on perfecting it, making sure her handwriting wasn't only readable, but also top-notch. She wanted the confession to be romantic, but non-invasive. She wanted it to reveal her feelings, yet let the boy of her dreams know that there was no need to give her an immediate answer.

_A letter might be old fashioned, but it feels more personal. Hopefully, it'll work._

The moment the traffic lights turned green, she rushed across the street, barely paying attention to her surroundings. Her mind was still on what she had written in the letter and her plan on how to deliver it. She was rather nervous about it, but she already made her mind up and nothing would stop her from carrying out her plan.

''Hey, Bri- watch out!''

Bridgette was still walking when she turned her head, only to have someone pull her back by her arm, preventing the inevitable collision with a lamppost. Bridgette breathed a sigh of relief and turned to her savior, Claude Savard, a classmate she was friends with since they were children. He was a tall boy, with dark brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a V-neck white and blue striped T-shirt that was solid white on the top and solid blue on the bottom, with a blue shirt underneath, as well as dark blue jeans. He was also carrying a dark blue backpack with basketball-themed and a mime-themed pin on the front.

''Thanks,'' she smiled.

''No problem,'' he replied. ''Although, I suggest you to daydream during classes, not on your way to school. At least you won't run into anything.''

''I wasn't daydreaming,'' Bridgette replied, noticing Claude raising an eyebrow. ''I was just busy making plans for today.''

''Do you want to tell me what kind of plans made you almost slam into a lamppost?'' Claude asked as the two started walking towards the school building.

''I had planned to deliver this letter…'' Bridgette gave him a shy smile, the ahoge on the top of her head curving into a heart shape. Claude had quickly caught on what she meant, giving her a look that was a mix of concern and irritation.

''This is about Agreste, isn't it?'' he asked. ''I'm afraid that you're setting yourself up for disappointment.''

''I understand that you are worried about me, but I know how to take care of myself,'' Bridgette replied. Claude didn't look convinced. He knew that Bridgette could be quite stubborn and determined to make things work, even when the odds were against her. It may have been an admirable trait, but it would also get her into unnecessary trouble.

''I know, but I don't want you to suffer because of your choices,'' Claude replied. ''Especially in the case of someone like the Ice Prince.''

''I-''

''Hey, Bri! Claude!'' Bridgette and Claude turned around, seeing the rest of their friend squad approach them. The one who called out for them was Sophie Renard, a a dark-skinned girl with wavy dark-brown hair and hazel eyes, wearing a dark purple beanie on her head, a dark purple off shoulder short-sleeved top with a black sleeveless shirt underneath it, black jeans and a pair of golden and silver bangles on her right arm. Across her shoulder was a purple and black messenger bag. ''We just overheard you mentioning the Ice Prince.''

''Hey, Soph,'' Bridgette greeted her friend. ''Yeah, I and Claude were having a conversation about Félix.''

''Did something happen?'' Allan Durand tilted his head, his hands being in his pockets. He was a dark-skinned boy with short dark-brown hair and golden-brown eyes, wearing a green flat cap with a white horizontal stripe towards the top and a white bill and a green jacket that had a white collar and dark-gray pants. Around his neck, he had yellow-orange headphones and over his shoulder was a green and orange camo print backpack.

''No,'' Bridgette replied. ''At least not yet.''

''I have a bad feeling about this,'' Allegra Baudelaire said, shaking her head lightly. She was a girl with blonde hair, which she wore in a single braid, and blue eyes, and was wearing a white shirt with a purple vest and dark-purple jeans. On her shoulders was a black and white backpack with a huge music note across it and she was carrying a black flute case. ''Whatever you're up to, I don't believe that Félix is worth it.''

''All I want is to just deliver a letter I wrote,'' Bridgette explained, her tone a little defensive. ''I don't believe that would hurt anyone.''

''Right, but what are the chances that Agreste ever reads what you wrote? He'll probably just chuck it into the trash bin without even looking at it,'' Claude replied.

''Hopefully, he will have the decency to not do it right in front of you,'' Sophie added, her response causing Bridgette's ahoge to droop. The teen took a deep breath, reaching for the letter in her backpack and taking it out.

''I know that you guys aren't particularly fond of Félix, but he isn't really as bad as he appears to be,'' Bridgette told them. Claude, Sophie, Allan and Allegra exchanged glances, their expressions showcasing their doubt.

''Maybe, but the way he carries himself just screams cold and snobbish guy who is disdainful and condescending of everyone who dares to talk to him,'' Sophie replied.

''Not to mention, he is hardly approachable,'' Allan added. ''I've never seen him talk or hang out with anyone. I guess books are just more important than interacting with other human beings.''

''You can add being unpleasant and rude to the list as well,'' Allegra said. ''I talked to him about showing him around the school since he was still new, being the class representative and all, but he just told me that he wasn't interested in the tour and to leave him alone.'' She frowned. ''Honestly, if he didn't need any help, he could've just said it in a politer way instead of being so blunt. To make things worse, my backpack then suddenly burst apart and all of my books spilled on the floor. All Félix did was to just give me a look and walk away instead of, y'know, helping me out.''

''To sum it up, the point is that this guy spells trouble and we are just looking out for you since we don't want to see you get hurt,'' Claude said. ''No offense, but, what do you even see in that guy?''

Bridgette bit her lip, holding up her letter and looking at it, her ahoge curving into a heart-shape.

''It is kind of complicated,'' Bridgette admitted, feeling butterflies fluttering in her stomach. ''However, I'm seeing this through.''

''Don't say that we didn't warn you,'' Sophie told her. Bridgette nodded and took a deep breath as they walked into the school building, clutching the letter tightly and pressing it against her chest. She had to admit to herself that her friends had a point.

Félix Agreste was serious and reserved, always keeping to himself and not being openly friendly. He kept conversations short and, if he deemed them pointless, he would just shut them down immediately. Considering how he barely interacted anyone, people had a hard time forming an opinion of him. He gave off the air of someone arrogant, someone with a superiority complex, making people assume that he was pretentious.

However, Bridgette was aware that there was a lot more to him than just his aloof attitude. The first time she met him, she had been wandering around the school, trying to remember her schedule, which she accidentally left at home, and not paying attention to her surroundings, as usual. She had accidentally bumped into someone and as she looked up, she saw a boy her age staring back at her.

He was tall, wearing a light-gray button-up shirt underneath a gray vest, with the sleeves covering his hands, black slacks, black dress shoes and a black tie; he was also keeping one hand on the strap of his brown leather briefcase backpack that was over his shoulder. His blond hair was combed back neatly, giving him a rather sophisticated appearance, even though the back wasn't quite tamed. His eyes were a desaturated green-grey and he had a piercing gaze, locking eyes with Bridgette.

Bridgette stared back in curiosity, crossing her arms on her back and feeling a little unsure what to make of it, as she had never seen a guy like him before. Neither of them had said anything about the accident, with Bridgette suddenly realizing that she was probably standing in his way and his silence was probably his way of telling her to move away.

She stepped to his left, walking around him and glanced back, still curious about who he was. She had noticed that his eyes briefly flicked to the side and that, despite her standing behind him, he was aware that she was staring at him, but remained silent. Bridgette then quickly stepped to his right, blinking a few times, her mouth slightly open as she wondered whether he would respond. Instead, he just looked up and walked away from her.

Bridgette was left standing in the half-empty hallway, still stunned by the encounter, not even registering that the bell rung for classes to start and that the students were going to their classrooms. She felt her heart skip a beat as she remembered his piercing gaze, the ahoge on the top of her head springing to life and taking the shape of a heart. Her cheeks flushed and she smiled.

Somehow, she had found herself drawn to him.

She had later learned that his name was Félix Agreste and that he was a new student that transferred to her class, even sitting in the row in front of her. She wanted to talk to him, but he would always walk away right after classes ended, giving her no chance to approach him. At the same time, she also had her own problems to deal with.

When she went to her locker to pick up her sketchbook, she found it missing. Disheartened and frustrated, she searched her locker and backpack again, but couldn't find it. Sighing, she closed the locker, hearing someone whispering and chuckling. As she turned around, she saw Amber Bourgeois and Jeanne Bourret talking something in hushed tones and Amber smiling as she looked at Bridgette.

 _Of course…_ Bridgette frowned, her ahoge frizzling up.

Amber Bourgeois was a girl with wavy honey blonde hair tied into a high ponytail, adorned by a bee hair-clip, and blue eyes. She was wearing a short-sleeved yellow dress with black stripes, a black jacket, black tights and black boots, and around her neck was a golden necklace with a heart-shaped locket, and a pair of yellow-rimmed sunglasses was hanging from the collar. She was also wearing a white messenger bag with yellow accents and a bee patch stitched on it over her shoulder. Despite being fairly gorgeous on the outside, she was quite prickly on the inside, always loving to find new victims.

Before Bridgette could accuse Amber of stealing her sketchbook, the teen waved, a smirk of satisfaction on her lips, and left, followed by her friend Jeanne. Bridgette felt her blood boil, but she knew that she couldn't do anything about this. She had no idea what Amber had done to her sketchbook, but it was clear that she wanted to use it to provoke her. Frankly, this wasn't their first encounter and Bridgette had hoped that Amber would grow out of being a petty bully, but it seemed that this wouldn't be the case.

Realizing that there was no way of salvaging the situation, Bridgette sighed in resignation, figuring that she would buy another sketchbook. As for the sketches, she tried to remember what she had been working on and re-draw it, but she couldn't recall anything.

_This day can't get worse, can it?_

As she walked outside the locker room, feeling quite downcast, she was startled by Félix, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Looking at his hand, she saw him holding a black book with a rose print across it – her sketchbook!

 _''I believe that this is yours,''_ Félix said as he gave Bridgette the sketchbook. The teen didn't reply, opting to stare at Félix in stunned silence, her ahoge curving into a heart-shape. _''I saw Bourgeois taking it out and throwing it into the trash bin.''_ His eyes narrowed, his gaze cold. _''You really need to take better care of your belongings. It's a waste to see hard work being treated like that.''_

He then walked away, leaving a stunned Bridgette, who didn't even register the irritated tone in his voice. She was both surprised and confused by the fact that Félix had brought her sketchbook back, as she hadn't expected him to bother helping her. As it turned out, this wouldn't be the only time he would assist her.  
A couple of days later, Bridgette had been tasked by a teacher to bring a bunch of books to the library and decided that the most efficient solution would be to stack them on top of each other and try to navigate through the hallways while having her vision partially obstructed. The end result was her tripping and causing the stack of books fall over the person she had ran into.

As she recovered, Bridgette discovered that this person was, to her horror, Félix himself. Both fell on the ground, with Bridgette flushing with embarrassment as Félix gave her a rather irritated glare.

 _''You should watch out where you're going,''_ Félix had told her coldly. _''You're a real klutz.''_

 _''I'm sorry…''_ Bridgette replied meekly, quickly picking up the books that were strewn across the floor. As she looked up, she saw Félix carrying several books as well.

 _''Those were supposed to be taken to the library, right?''_ he asked.

Bridgette nodded quietly, her ahoge curving into a heart-shape. She felt a little weird about the fact that Félix decided to help her once more, especially after she made a fool of herself in front of him. She remained silent during their walk to the library, focused on finding the right words to thank him and ask him whether they could hang out. However, once they dropped the books off, Félix was already gone.

_Honestly, I just don't get him._

Before she even knew, she had found himself staring at Félix and even following him on occasion, being curious about his interests and where he spent his free time. The mixed feelings she had for him developed into an actual crush, but with that crush also came several issues. She saw the looks of concern on her friends' expressions and she was aware that crushing on someone whose usual response to being an interrupted was an icy glare wouldn't have the best outcome for her.

Nevertheless, there was something about Félix that intrigued Bridgette. Despite what one may think, she didn't fall for him because of his looks or aloof attitude, even though the former may have played a part in it. Félix's abrassivness was actually a part of why she was so interested in him, as she wanted to understand the odd mix between the out-of-the-blue kind gestures and the clashing coldness in his gaze.

She knew that her friends believed that she had the utterly wrong perception of Félix and that she probably had no idea what she was getting herself into by deciding that she was in love with him. She didn't blame them for thinking like this, as Félix didn't really leave a good impression on them, but she felt that she actually knew better than them.

_If I could just get through this icy barrier he built around himself, maybe I could prove that he isn't the Ice Prince everyone considers him to be._

She found herself thinking about Félix more and more, feeling her heart race each time she looked at him. Eventually, she decided to finally confront him directly, wanting a clear answer. She had managed to intercept him during lunch while he was on his way to the library, where he would, as she learned, spend most of his free time.

 _''H-Hey, Félix!''_ Félix appeared to be startled when Bridgette emerged from a side-corridor, approaching him. He gave her a questioning look, while Bridgette blushed, her ahoge curving into a heart-shape. She took a sharp breath, trying to calm herself down. _''I-I wanted to ask you whether you'd want to go out for a coffee with me.''_

 _''No.''_ Félix's eyes narrowed as he gripped the strap of his backpack tightly. Bridgette was a little disappointed, but not discouraged.

_''If not a coffee, how about tea? My family owns a tea shop and I-''_

_''I'm not interested,''_ Félix cut her off, walking right past her.

Bridgette's ahoge drooped and she turned around, observing Félix until he left her sight. She felt downcast by his rejection, but figured that he was probably busy. She decided that she could ask him out some other time.

 _Not that it worked, as he rejected each and every of my invitations._ Bridgette looked down at the letter she was holding. She had figured that, if Félix didn't want to talk to her, then at least he could read how she felt about him. _I really hope that this is going to work. He doesn't even have to respond to it, as I just want to let him know how things are on my side._

Nevertheless, she would be lying to herself if she claimed that she didn't want him to actually acknowledge her feelings for him.

**xXx**

Heavy dark clouds passed across the sky, accompanied by the occasional sound of thunder. It was obvious that there would be a thunderstorm, but Bridgette was too busy planning how she would give Félix her letter instead of realizing that she still had no way to return home without getting drenched. During lunchtime, she had figured that she could give the letter to him at the library, where they would have some privacy. Feeling quite satisfied with her decision, she went to the library, hoping to find Félix there. However, she had absolutely no idea about the disaster that awaited her.

Once she had arrived at the library, she was left wandering between the bookshelves, trying to locate Félix. She managed to find him in the English Literature section, peeking her head around the bookshelf.

''Hey, Félix-'' Before Bridgette get another word in, the books Félix was reaching for suddenly fell over him, causing quite a ruckus. Bridgette winced, giving the dazed Félix a worried look. ''Are you okay?''

''I am,'' Félix replied, rubbing his head and giving Bridgette an icy glare, as if she was to blame for the accident. ''Although, I would've felt better if you hadn't sneaked up on me.''

''I'm sorry about that,'' Bridgette replied in a quiet tone, then added, slightly bitter, ''I wasn't sneaking around.''

Félix gave her an annoyed look and crouched down to pick up the books. Bridgette helped him, figuring that, while this wasn't the best moment for a conversation, she at least managed to get Félix's attention.

''Anyways, Félix,'' she said, her cheeks having a slight pink tint to them and her ahoge curving into a heart-shape, ''I wanted to talk to you…''

''I am not in the mood for a conversation, especially not in a library,'' Félix cut her off, placing the books back on the shelf, grabbing his backpack and another book, and walking away.

''Wait a second,'' Bridgette called out for him, still holding a tight grip on her letter. She found him at the front desk, waiting for the librarian to arrive so he could borrow the book he was holding. She walked up to him with a determined look on her expression, placing the letter on the desk and pushing it towards Félix. ''I wanted you to have this.''

Félix was puzzled for a moment, staring at the letter. He reached for it, failing to notice the odd shimmer coming from the ring on his right hand; the ring being entirely black with a cat face, the cat having green jewels as eyes and a red diamond-shaped jewel on its forehead. Suddenly, the vase with flowers that was on the table next to the letter toppled over, spraying the flowers and water over the letter and soaking it, then fell on the floor, shattering into tiny pieces.

Both Bridgette and Félix were stunned, their eyes widened as they stared at the ruined letter and broken vase in horror. Before they could say or do anything, the librarian arrived, looking quite alarmed.

''What happened?''

''I'm sorry, it was an accident…'' Bridgette started, only for Félix to interrupt.

''It's my fault, I knocked the vase over,'' he said, with Bridgette giving him an incredulous look. The librarian shook her head.

''Don't worry, I understand that it was an accident,'' she said, reaching for the book Félix was holding. ''I'll call someone to clean this mess up, but make sure that you don't step on the shards.''

While Félix waited for the librarian to scan the book, Bridgette took the ruined letter, feeling rather disheartened when she realized that it wasn't salvageable. Her ahoge drooped as she left quietly, ripping the letter in half and crumpling it up, then tossing it into the trash bin she passed by.

_Things really can't get worse, can they?_

**xXx**

_I just had to jinx myself._

Bridgette groaned as she stood in front of the school building, with the overhang being the only thing that shielded her from the rain. She wanted to ask her friends whether they had an umbrella and whether she could accompany them, but the whole event with Félix and the letter kept lingering in her mind, causing her to forget about the thunderstorm until it was too late. Her friends had already left and she didn't want to bother them by calling them and asking for a ride or to bring her an umbrella, as it was her fault for not thinking ahead.

_How am I supposed to get home now?_

Bridgette sighed, leaning against the wall and staring at the dark sky, listening to the raindrops hitting the overhang and wondering whether she should wait it out. She hoped that she wouldn't be stuck here for the rest of the day, but after a few minutes passed, it was clear that the sky wouldn't be clearing any time soon. She lowered her head, her ahoge jumping slightly when she heard the entrance door next to her opening and someone walking outside, but didn't bother to look who it was.

''Here.''

Bridgette was startled by the familiar cold tone and quickly looked up, surprised to see Félix handing her a red umbrella over, while clutching a black one in his other hand. His gaze was steady and hard, the kind that would make any other person back away. However, when he locked eyes with Bridgette, she didn't appear to be intimidated or bothered in any way.

''I had a spare one with me, so you can take this one,'' he added. Bridgette was still staring at him, her soft gaze making him feel a little irked. He simply couldn't understand why she behaved like this in his presence, but at this point, he just wanted to get over with this. He looked away, breaking the eye-contact. ''Take it.''

He could feel Bridgette's fingers brushing against his as she took the umbrella, both wincing slightly when they heard a thunder right above them. He then opened his own umbrella, his eyes briefly flicking at Bridgette, only to see a warm smile on her lips. He rose an eyebrow, a little puzzled, and turned away.

''You don't have to return it,'' he added, walking away.

''Thank you!''

Félix briefly stopped walking, seemingly wanting to reply, but then continued, ignoring Bridgette. The teen wasn't bothered by this, keeping a tight grip on the umbrella. While her grandmother would probably tell her that the umbrella was a bad omen, as it was a symbol for a relationship breaking apart, she felt that she should hold onto it.

_After all, life is full of surprises, and you never know what is going to happen next._

**xXx**

After greeting her grandmother, who appeared to be relieved that she didn't return home soaked to her bones, even though she did rise an eyebrow when Bridgette told her that the umbrella was a gift, Bridgette went upstairs, her emotions swirling inside her like a vortex. She was quite happy that Félix gave her the umbrella, but she felt disappointed that she couldn't give him the letter.

_Maybe I should try something else._

She sighed as she left her backpack and the umbrella in her room, then went back down to her grandmother's room, feeling glad that she at least hadn't forgotten about what the closet clean-up. Frankly, she was curious about some of the stuff her grandmother had stored, as she had a penchant for finding or buying unusual items. She had probably spent an hour or so combing through the mess and placing whatever caught her interest into an empty box, then picked it up and walked back upstairs.

Bridgette huffed as she carried the heavy box into her room, already regretting taking so much stuff along. There were some things inside it that had piqued her interest and she wanted to go through them in her room. She sat down and started rummaging through the box, taking out a few old books, ornaments and jewelry boxes, disappointed to find out that some of them were empty.

She tilted her head when she found a small red and black lacquered jewelry box and opened it. She was amazed to find a pair of red earrings with black spots that had golden outlines on the edges, reminding her of ladybug wings.

''Those are so cute!'' Bridgette smiled, quickly getting up and walking over to the mirror, wanting to put them on. As she took the earrings out of the box, they briefly shimmered, startling Bridgette. She figured that it was just a trick of light and put the earrings on. She then titled her head, brushing away her hair to take a better look at the earrings, which suddenly started to glow, with an orb of red light emerging from them.

Bridgette cried out in surprise, stumbling and falling over on the floor. The source of the red light appeared to be a small red-orange creature, with light orange cheeks, a dark brown four-leaf clover marking on its forehead, and a dark brown spot on its back. Its eyes were black and it had two antennae with round yellow tips, as well as a short three-tipped tail. The creature then looked around and flew over to Bridgette, who stared at it in shock.

''Hello, my name is Tikki,'' Tikki introduced herself. ''Who are you?''

''I-I'm Bridgette Cheng,'' Bridgette replied, two seconds away from completely freaking out, her ahoge being frizzled. ''Wh-What are you?''

''I'm a kwami, specifically, the Kwami of Fortune,'' Tikki explained. ''You freed me from my dormant state when you put the Ladybug Earrings on.''

''I… did?'' Bridgette touched her earrings, wondering if she should take them off. ''I'm sorry, I had no idea-''

''No, no, that's a good thing!'' Tikki assured her, flying up to Bridgette. ''As long as you keep wearing the Ladybug Earrings, you will have good luck in your life.''

''That's good to know,'' Bridgette said, giving Tikki a resigned smile. ''I could really use some good luck in my life, since I'm something of a klutz. I mean, just a week ago, I had agreed to help out my friend Sophie to decorate her room, only to manage to knock over the can of paint and get drenched. It took me ages to wash it off.''

''Unfortunately, I'm not sure how much the good luck charm will help you with your clumsiness, but if you need guidance or advice, I will be right by your side,'' Tikki told her, her tone warm and soothing. Her expression then changed and she gave Bridgette a serious look. ''However, I have to warn you. If you use your good luck for selfish reasons, great misfortune will befall you. You need to be careful with how you use them.''

''I see,'' Bridgette muttered, her eyes narrowing. ''I guess that it shouldn't be surprising that this kind of power wouldn't come without any consequences. Nevertheless, I promise that I will use it responsibly.''

''There is one more thing you need to know,'' Tikki added, with Bridgette giving her a curious look, her ahoge curving into a question mark. ''You can use the Ladybug Earrings to transform into the superheroine Ladybug.''

''A superheroine?'' Bridgette stared at Tikki, completely stunned.

''That's right,'' Tikki continued. ''These earrings are a special type of jewelry known as the Miraculous and, once you're transformed, will give you additional abilities that will be helpful when you find yourself in a pinch. Of course, it is up to you whether you want to use them or not, but if you do, I recommend you to make sure that your true identity and source of powers remains a secret. One can only imagine the horrors that could happen if the Miraculous falls into the wrong hands.''

''I understand,'' Bridgette said, nodding. She lowered her head, her ahoge drooping as a look of doubt formed on her expression. ''Although, I'm not sure whether I'm cut out to be a superheroine. I'll probably mess things up.''

''No one is perfect. You might make mistakes, but you should take them as a learning experience,'' Tikki comforted her, patting her shoulder. Bridgette rose her head, seeing the kwami smiling. ''All you need is to be confident in your abilities. I'm sure you'll make a great Ladybug.''

''I guess you're right,'' Bridgette said in a quiet tone. She was still unsure about this whole situation, since it was quite sudden to learn that she had been gifted super powers, but she was intrigued by the idea of becoming a superheroine who would be able to help those who are in need. She took a sharp breath and got up, giving Tikki a determined look. ''Okay, I'm in!''

''That's great!'' Tikki gave her an excited look. ''In order to transform, all you have to say is 'Tikki, transform me!'.''

Bridgette nodded, brushing away her hair with her hand to reveal the Ladybug Earrings.

_''Tikki, transform me!''_

She tilted her head slightly to the side, with Tikki getting absorbed into the Ladybug Earrings. Sparkly orbs of red light were emitted from the earrings, completely enveloping Bridgette. She stretched out her arm out, with a red suit materializing across it, and spreading over her body, the suit having black spots on the torso and a black collar. Her hair grew longer, with long red hair ribbons, that were tied to her pigtails, popping out and trailing behind her. A string covered in golden beads appeared around her waist, with a red compact that had black spots on it being attached to the string. She took a step forward, with a red mask appearing on her face, and she opened her eyes, which turned a darker shade of blue. She turned on her heel, striking a pose, her arms outstretched and bent slightly back and her hair ribbons billowing behind her.

Ladybug blinked a few times, stunned and walked over to the mirror, staring at her new suit. She tilted her head quizzically, turning around to take a better look at the hair ribbons and the back of her suit.

''I have to admit, I didn't expect to look like this,'' she said.

 _''The suit that materializes on your body is the product of your own vision.''_ Ladybug was surprised to hear Tikki's voice coming from her earrings.

''I guess that makes sense,'' Ladybug said. ''When you told me that I'd become a superheroine named Ladybug, I imagined a red outfit with black spots.'' She tilted her head, placing her hands on her hips. ''The ribbons and beads are a nice touch, though. They make the suit look less bland.''

 _''You know, if you don't like it, you can change the suit's appearance upon your next transformation,''_ Tikki informed her.

''Actually, I'm fine with it, although, I feel more like a magical girl than a superheroine. Maybe I should call myself Mahou Shoujo Coccinelle,'' Ladybug mused, a look of satisfaction on her expression. She tilted her head slightly, snorting. ''Or, maybe not, Ladybug is also fine.'' She then reached for the compact that was attached to the string and took it off. ''So, what is this for?''

_''Well, as I stated earlier, with the transformation come also additional abilities, like boosted speed, endurance, agility, and strength. The suit is quite durable and will protect you from major hazards, like a fire. As for the compact, it can turn into various weapons of your own choice. Try trailing with your finger across the edge of the compact.''_

Ladybug did as Tikki instructed her, surprised to see the edge opening and revealing a black string, essentially turning the compact into a yo-yo. Ladybug played with it, amazed and curious about whether she could do anything else with the compact.

''This is awesome!'' she said as the yo-yo returned back to her hand.

_''In addition, you can turn the compact into a staff, a shield, and even wings for flight. Try it out!''_

Ladybug clasped her hands around the compact, which suddenly separated into two pieces. When she attempted to put the pieces together, a pale red and purple beam of energy appeared between them, with Ladybug extending the pieces, revealing a staff. She grabbed it by the beam and twirled it.

Smirking, she gripped the beam tightly, causing it to break and reached for the two pieces, turning it back into a compact. She then placed the compact on the back of her hand, with the middle of the compact opening and revealing a pair of insect wings, which started flapping at rapid speeds, forming a circular shield in front of her.

Curious, she let the shield disappear and placed the compact on her back. It suddenly grew bigger, the red frame, basically an elytra, opening up and revealing a pair of blueish insect wings beneath it. Amazed, Ladybug wondered how to activate them, only to cry out in surprise when the wings started flapping, causing her fly up and hover at least a meter above the floor.

''This is not what I had in mind!'' She flailed her arms in panic, having no idea how to control her wings, and shouting the only thing that came to her mind, _''Tikki, de-transform me!''_

The moment her costume vanished, Bridgette fell on her back, crying out in pain. Tikki, who emerged out of the earrings flew up to her, worried.

''Bridgette, are you okay?''

''Yeah, I am,'' Bridgette replied as she sat up, rubbing her back. ''I just had a hard landing, that's all. I'll be fine.'' She glanced at Tikki. ''Although, I think I'll practice flying somewhere in the open rather than in my room.'' She glanced at the window, noticing that it had stopped raining and that the sky had cleared. ''Not to mention, I don't think this is the only thing I'll have to practice.''

''What do you have in mind?'' Tikki asked her.

Bridgette looked back at the kwami, smiling mischievously and doing a fist pump.

''How about doing some rooftop parkour?''

**xXx**

_Okay, maybe this wasn't the best idea I had._

Bridgette took a deep breath and looked over the wall of the building she was standing on, feeling dizzy when she saw just how high up she was and quickly crouched down, her back turned to the wall and her ahoge frizzled. Her heart was racing as she leaned back, her fingers grasping for the cold wall and making sure that she wouldn't fall over.

It was late in the evening and she had figured that she could get on the top of a building that had a lot of rooftop space for her to practice moving across Paris while jumping from rooftop to rooftop. The only issue was that, after seeing how high the building was, she suddenly started getting cold feet. She was worried that she might mess up, that something might go wrong, causing her to fall down and hit the ground. She knew that a fall from this height would result in either her breaking all of her bones or certain death.

''Bridgette, are you completely sure about this?'' Tikki, who was hovering next to her, asked. Admittedly, she had complete faith in Bridgette's abilities, but seeing the fear in Bridgette's eyes made her question her holder's decision. Bridgette took a deep breath, taking a moment to calm herself down and nodded.

''If I want to act as a superheroine or magical girl warrior or whatever, I will be dealing with all kinds of situations, won't I? I need to learn how to overcome my fears for the sake of the people I want to help,'' she told the kwami, who nodded.

''That's correct, but you need to keep in mind to not push yourself,'' Tikki replied. ''This is a new experience for you and you have shown that you're determined to follow through with your plan. All you need is to be confident in your abilities and believe in yourself.''

''Right.'' Bridgette took a sharp breath and stood up. ''Ready?'' Tikki nodded, with Bridgette brushing away her hair with her hand to reveal the Ladybug Earrings. _''Tikki, transform me!''_

As the kwami got absorbed into her earrings, Bridgette was enveloped in red light and, a moment later, she was standing on the rooftop as Ladybug. She looked down and then at the building on the other side. She turned around, distancing herself from the edge and then took another sharp breath and started running towards the edge. However, before she could jump off, she skidded to a halt, freaking out again.

_Oh, com'n! You can do better than this!_

She shook her head, a sheepish look on her expression, turning on her heel and walking back to the other side of the rooftop. Frankly, gymnastics wasn't her forte, but she knew that she didn't only have enhanced abilities, but also good luck super powers, so she should be fine.

''Alright, let's go, but this time, for real,'' Ladybug said calmly, her voice giving her the confidence she needed.

She ran towards the edge, leaping across to the other building and even doing a somersault mid-air before landing back on her feet. Her heart was racing as she looked back, a wide smile forming on her lips.

''That was awesome!'' she exclaimed, still having difficulty to believe that she managed to pull off the jump. ''Let's see what else I can do!''

 _''That's the spirit!''_ Tikki cheered. Ladybug grinned and then started to run across the rooftop, leaping off it and landing on another building. She didn't stop though, continuing with her rooftop run and covering bigger and bigger distances between the buildings. She felt like she was on a roller-coaster doing jumps and mid-air somersaults with ease. It was incredible, giving her a sense of freedom unlike anything she ever felt.

Unknown to her, she wasn't the only one doing a rooftop parkour, as another figure had landed on a rooftop on his hands and feet just as she was passing by. He was wearing a form-fitting black leather-like suit, the collar around his neck being unzipped, showing a bit of his chest, and had a large golden bell attached to the zipper. His belt tail wrapped around his waist twice, criss-crossing in an ''x'' in the front and had a large silver belt buckle in the shape of a cat's head. In addition, he was wearing mid-thigh high boots, had claws on his fingers, fangs, as well as toe beans on his feet and hands. His blond hair was messy and untamed, with black cat ears on the top. His face was covered in a black mask, only revealing a pair of green eyes, including the sclerae.

He was known as Chat Noir, a superhero with an unfortunate penchant for trouble and a bad luck magnet. As he looked up, he saw Ladybug soaring across the sky under the full moon. She had a wide smile on her face, clearly enjoying herself; and once she landed on the roof, she did another somersault, effortlessly jumping over another chimney stack and disappearing from Chat Noir's sight.

Chat Noir was stunned for a moment, but then his eyes widened, glittering in the moonlight and a wide grin spread across his face.

''Woo!''

Excited, he quickly followed her.

Meanwhile, Ladybug had managed to land on another rooftop, finally slowing down and being slightly out of breath. Nevertheless, she was quite satisfied with her accomplishment. She clasped her hands and stretched her arms above her head, trying to figure out what she was going to do next. So far, she felt like she was just in the tutorial phase and wanted to do something more challenging.

''Huh?'' Ladybug looked up at the chimney stack above her, seeing a dark figure with green eyes sitting on the top, his tail curling up. Puzzled, she stepped back, only for the figure to jump down, revealing himself to be a guy in a black suit with cat ears and a belt tail. ''Uh, good evening?''

''Good evening to you too, M'Lady.'' To Ladybug's surprise, the cat boy took her hand and kissed the top. She blushed slightly, being startled by his straightforwardness. She stared at him as he gave her a knowing smile, only to snap out of her daze.

''Excuse me, but who are you?'' Ladybug asked as she pulled her hand back.

''The name is Chat Noir.'' Chat Noir bowed down with flourish, one hand on his back and the other on his chest, and looked up at Ladybug, winking at her. ''Your loyal partner-in-crime.''

''Partner?'' Ladybug rose an eyebrow, crossing her arms on her chest. ''I had no idea I needed one.''

She observed in satisfaction as he faltered for a brief moment, his cat ears flattening against his head. He obviously didn't expect such response, but he managed to quickly pick himself up.

''While one might argue that you indeed don't need a partner to protect you, I believe that it would be far more exciting to have me by your side than work alone,'' Chat Noir replied, extending his hand and smirking, a fang popping out of the corner of his mouth. ''A beautiful lady like you deserves only the best and I'm fairly confident that I'm meeting those expectations.''

''I wouldn't be so sure,'' Ladybug replied. ''After all, I haven't even seen you in action.''

She was startled when Chat Noir suddenly stepped closer to her, causing her to back away, only to hit a wall. Chat Noir took another step, leaning with one hand against the wall and blocked her way with his body.

''It depends,'' he said, his tone enticing. ''I could show you my skills while fighting off criminals, but in return, we could spend some time together… Maybe in a more romantic setting.''

Ladybug blinked, gawking at Chat Noir and trying to process what he just insinuated. Was he flirting with her?

''I don't think so, Kitty,'' she replied in a stern tone, seeing the puzzled look on Chat Noir's expression. ''I may still be new to this, but I'm not interested in being involved into any kind of romance while I'm working as a superheroine. It would be too much of a distraction.''

''So, I'm now a distraction?'' Chat Noir didn't falter this time, his tone charming and confident. ''Thank you for the compliment, M'lady.''

Ladybug rolled her eyes, feeling quite irked and realizing that Chat Noir wasn't giving up so easily.

''Seriously, I'm not interested,'' she told him, pressing her hand gently against his chest and pushing him away, with Chat Noir stepping to the side. ''If all what you want to do is to flirt with me, then I'm better off by myself.''

''Then, how about a good-bye kiss? I don't even know whether I might see you again,'' Chat Noir leaned closer, only to be stopped by Ladybug placing her hand right in front of his face.

''That's not going to happen, Chat Noir,'' she said, giving him a pointed look. ''Ever.''

She then turned on her heel and ran off to the edge of the rooftop and leapt off it, landing on the rooftop of another building. Chat Noir just leaned against the wall, his tail flicking as he crossed his arms and observed Ladybug vanishing from his sight.

He smirked sinisterly.

_I don't mind a challenge, M'lady. Trust me, one day, your heart will belong to me._


	3. The Black Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to another chapter!
> 
> This one will focus a little more on Félix Agreste/Chat Noir, as well as mark the first appearance of one of our recurring villains.
> 
> Now, last time I mentioned that I would explain how Akuma work in this universe. Well, to keep things short - Akuma don't exist in the PV Universe. Instead, the villains we saw in the PV Trailer, the Mime and Monsieur Pigeon, are permanent enemies that will frequently clash with Ladybug and Chat Noir for various reasons.
> 
> Also, keep in mind that this is still the beginning and that I'm working on setting up the universe properly, so if you feeling that something is off, it's me just adding and scrapping stuff to make the plot make sense from a story and character perspective, as well as preparing the characters for later plot points. In time, everything will get explained.
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy the chapter! X3

**Entry 2**

**The Black Cat**

_''Amidst a world tainted by fake news and falsehood I keep calling for your name. After escaping through the city, I stop for a moment to look up at the blue sky.''_

_– **Never Lose** by Ace Attorney_

**xXxXxXx**

Bridgette yawned, stretching her arms as she slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was a little blurry due to the daylight, but after blinking a few times, it quickly cleared. While she was still in a state of daze, she was in a good mood. She had a nice dream about being a superheroine, parkouring across the rooftops of Paris and enjoying her newfound powers as Ladybug.

 _But, that was just a dream…_ Bridgette glanced to the side and saw, to her surprise, a red creature with antennae sleeping next to her. ''Tikki?!''

Tikki stirred in her sleep, slowly opening her eyes and seeing Bridgette, who sat up. She smiled, stretching her tiny arms, and flew up to the teen. ''Good morning, Bridgette!''

''W-Wait, if you're here, then this means…'' Bridgette's eyes widened as it dawned on her. ''What happened last night… It wasn't a dream, right? Everything that happened was real; I am Ladybug!''

''Exactly!'' Tikki nodded. ''I guess you need some time to process what happened.''

''Actually, I already have,'' Bridgette replied, reaching for her smartphone. ''I just needed a reminder that what had happened was actually re- aagh! I'm late!'' Panicking, she got out of her bed and stumbled, almost falling over. ''I forgot to set the alarm and now I'll be late for school!''

Tikki observed her holder with a sympathetic look on her expression as Bridgette dressed herself in record time and darted downstairs, with the kwami managing to hide in her backpack. Bridgette skipped two stairs at once, still scolding herself for oversleeping and hoping that she wouldn't get into trouble with her teacher.

''Good morning, Bri-!''

''Sorry, Gran, I'm late!''

Mei was a stunned when Bridgette darted right past her, almost colliding with a woman who was about to enter the store. She then sighed, being already used to her granddaughter's antics.

Meanwhile, Bridgette was running down the street towards the school, trying to remember whether she had packed all the right books and necessities for the school day. She figured that she would get her answer once she had settled down in the classroom, if she managed to get there in time. However, as it turned out, she wasn't the only one on her way to school.

''Allegra?''

Bridgette was stunned to see her friend standing on the street, typing something on her smartphone. Allegra rose her head and smiled, waving Bridgette over, who ran towards her.

''Hey, Bri, what's the rush?'' Allegra asked as Bridgette skidded to a halt in front of her.

''I could ask you the same, we're late to school,'' Bridgette told her briskly, panting. Allegra gave her a puzzled look, but then shook her head.

''Haven't you read the group message? We don't have first period due to the teacher calling in sick and being unable to find a substitute,'' she explained. Bridgette gave her a look of disbelief.

''I panicked for absolutely no reason,'' she said in exasperation, her ahoge drooping. Allegra simply shrugged.

''You're lucky you ran into me, so at least now you know,'' she said. Bridgette perked up, giving Allegra a curious look, then smiled.

''Lucky, right,'' she said. ''How about getting breakfast? I didn't have the time to eat anything this morning.''

''Sure,'' Allegra replied, with the two girls starting to walk towards a bakery. ''So, how did it go?'' She tilted her head when she saw Bridgette giving her a confused look. ''I'm talking about your letter. Did you give it to Félix?''

''Oh,'' Bridgette muttered and looked ahead, thinking about yesterday's accident. ''I did, but it didn't go well. It accidentally got drenched in water and I had to throw it away before Félix had the chance to read it.''

''I'm sorry about that,'' Allegra said, giving Bridgette a sympathetic look. Even though she didn't particularly like Félix, she did acknowledge the effort Bridgette put into trying to confess to him. She had seen how happy and proud her friend was when she held that letter and it was quite a pity that she couldn't deliver it to her crush.

However, instead of looking downcast or heartbroken, Bridgette just smiled.

''Don't worry about that,'' she replied in a carefree tone. ''I'll figure out another way to let Félix know how I feel about him.''

''That is, if he decides to acknowledge your feelings,'' Allegra said, giving Bridgette a thoughtful look. ''I understand that you like him, but what will happen if he rejects you?''

''Even if he does, I wouldn't mind. All I want is to talk to him, maybe befriend him.'' Bridgette fell silent for a moment. ''Am I really asking for too much?''

''Honestly, I don't think that you're asking for too much,'' Allegra replied. ''However, from Félix's perspective, it seems that you do. I wouldn't be surprised if he refused to socialize even if his life depended on it.''

''I believe that he has a reason for the way he behaves,'' Bridgette told Allegra as she entered the bakery. Allegra just shrugged, opting to wait outside for her friend, as she wasn't hungry.

Her thoughts still being focused on Félix, Bridgette walked up to the counter, looking at the pastries. There was another customer being served, so she had a few minutes to decide what she would buy, even though she had already decided on the brioche filled with strawberry jam, as well as a few macarons for Tikki, since she figured that the kwami was just as hungry as she was.

''What would you like to order?''

''I would like one pain au chocolat, please,'' Bridgette said, registering her words only a second later. It appeared that the girl behind the counter didn't notice the look of surprise on Bridgette's expression, but went ahead with putting the pastry into a paper bag.

''Anything else?''

''Uh, I'd also like a strawberry-filled brioche and three macarons,'' Bridgette quickly added, pointing at the pastries. _Why did I ask for the pain au chocolat?!_

Bridgette felt a little dazed as she payed for the pastries, still wondering what possessed her to buy something she didn't plan to eat and not change her order. All she knew was that she had a strange feeling that this was the right decision, even though she didn't know why. Bridgette shook her head as she exited the bakery, figuring that she should enjoy her breakfast.

''Bri, are you okay?'' Allegra asked, noticing the weird look on Bridgette's expression.

''Yeah, I am,'' Bridgette told her. ''I was thinking how I bought some extra food, just in case.''

''In case of what?'' Allegra rose an eyebrow. Bridgette was silent for a moment, with Allegra being a little worried, wondering whether something was wrong. Bridgette than looked up at her, her airheaded answer catching Allegra off guard.

''I don't know,'' she said in a chipper tone, causing Allegra to give her a baffled look. Bridgette then winked. ''However, I do have a good feeling about this.''

**xXx**

Félix was no stranger to disasters. After all, he had been followed by the very incarnation of a disaster over the past two and half weeks and he was well aware that there was no way to escape it, as it would stick with him through the rest of his life. The fact that he also had to deal with the unwanted advances from a certain pigtailed classmate didn't help either.

Nevertheless, that didn't mean that he had no idea how to handle himself in these kinds of situations. As a matter of fact, he had thought of every scenario possible, making meticulous preparations and taking control over his every move and word. Everything had to be perfect if he wanted to have a normal life.

Unfortunately, he knew that his life wasn't normal and will never be, all thanks to a certain noisy creature who loved to make him miserable. Still, there was hope, as the one who would break his curse had finally entered his life. The only issue was that he had to figure out how to convince her to help him.

He furrowed a brow as the ringing of the school bell signaled the end of the class and got up. He felt the hair on the back of his neck standing up as he heard Bridgette's voice from behind him, the teen discussing her lunch plans with her friend Sophie.

''I'm not sure whether I'm going to join you today, Soph,'' Bridgette explained. ''I actually…''

Félix didn't stick around to hear the rest of the conversation. With one swift movement, he grabbed his briefcase backpack and left the room, wanting to get away from his admirer as far as possible. For all he knew, waiting longer would turn into an opportunity for Bridgette to ask him whether he wanted to have lunch with her, a scenario he wanted to avoid.

Instead, he decided that he would get out of the school and go to the nearby bakery to buy himself lunch, then find an isolated spot where he could eat his lunch and read his book in peace. Satisfied with his plan, he reached for the inside of his backpack to take out his wallet, only to realize a moment later that he couldn't find it.

He took a sharp breath, trying to stop the surge of panic from spreading through his body. He opened his backpack, checking the pocket where he usually kept his wallet, but it wasn't there. Instead, he found a small black creature with cat ears, a cat tail, a pair of whiskers on his cheeks and one on his head. It blinked, his green eyes having black cat-like slits as pupils, and smirked, a fang popping out of the corner of its mouth.

''You can keep searching, Kid, but you left your wallet at home,'' Plagg told him. Félix frowned, glaring at his kwami.

''Why didn't you tell me anything?''

''You didn't ask,'' Plagg replied dryly.

Félix sighed, but he wasn't going to give up so easily, as he had a back-up plan. He made sure to always keep spare money in a pocket on the inside of his backpack, but when he pulled it out, it turned out that he only had a few cents, not enough to buy himself anything. It seemed that he'd have to go through the rest of his school day on an empty stomach.

 _Great, just my luck…_ Feeling bitter, he glanced at the cat ring adorning his finger, the actual source of his misery. Ever since he put it on, he had nothing but bad luck. He would dread every day, being already used to the idea of something bad happening to him, from getting accidentally hit by a stray frisbee to having his teacher accidentally pour hot coffee over his homework, ruining it completely. Whenever he thought that it couldn't get worse, it would get much worse.

Having resigned himself to his fate, he closed his backpack and put it over his shoulder, clutching the strap tightly. However, before he could walk away, he was startled by a familiar voice.

''Hey, Félix!''

 _Not her again._ He turned around, feeling annoyed when he saw Bridgette approaching him. It appeared that she wasn't bothered by the irritated look he gave her, smiling happily when she realized that he actually had acknowledged her presence.

''What do you want?'' he asked her. Considering how he wouldn't be going anywhere, he figured that he could allow himself to spend a few minutes talking to Bridgette and letting her know that he wouldn't be accepting any of her invitations, period.

''I was wondering whether we could maybe have lunch together,'' Bridgette said hopefully.

Surprisingly, instead of rejecting her, Félix quietly observed her. It was obvious that he had already expected her to ask him that, but unknown to Bridgette, he actually found himself considering her invitation, only because he realized that he didn't want to spend the rest of his day hungry.

However, before he could respond, Bridgette quickly added, ''If you don't want to come along, I did buy myself pain au chocolat this morning, but decided against eating it.'' She reached for her backpack, taking out the paper bag with the pastry. ''If you want, you can have it.''

Félix was surprised, having not expected that Bridgette would bring him lunch. At first, he thought about refusing, but he then took the paper bag, figuring that it was better than nothing. As he glanced back at Bridgette, he realized that she had that dreamy and giddy look on her expression, her ahoge having curved into a heart shape.

''Thank you,'' he said curtly. Frankly, he would've left without a word if it weren't for the fact that common decency had been hammered into his psyche.

''You're welcome.''

A wide smile spread across Bridgette's lips, her chipper voice irking Félix. It annoyed him that she made a big deal out of him accepting the pastry and, after thanking her for the treat, he turned around and left. He remained alert, figuring that she would attempt to follow him, but was surprised when he realized that she left him alone.

_Maybe she had finally got the hint to stop following me around the school._

He scoffed at the thought. Even though he didn't know Bridgette well, he was aware that she could be quite persistent, often showing up out of nowhere in order to talk to him. Admittedly, she didn't ask him for his phone number, e-mail or any social media, nor did she try to follow him to his home, as far as he knew. The only time they would interact was at school and even then, she would keep her distance whenever he told her to leave him alone. That didn't stop her from trying to talk to him the next day, though.

_As if I already don't have enough problems to deal with._

**xXx**

The rest of the school day passed without any other accidents, although Félix did notice Bridgette occasionally glancing at him. He would just keep ignoring her, feeling mildly irritated. Fortunately, she left school in the company of her friends, meaning he didn't have to worry about her trying to approach him while he was on his way home.

Not that he was eager to return home, or rather, that sterile fortress of a mansion he had been forced to call his home for the past few years. As much as he disliked the idea of attending public school and being forced to socialize with other people, it was still better than spending his days being homeschooled and interacting with the man he detested – his uncle, Gabriel Agreste.

Félix's eyes narrowed as he was reminded of his uncle's cold gaze. There was no doubt that Gabriel was a successful businessman and fashion designer, but in private he was absolutely ruthless. He was quite observant and didn't tolerate anything out of the ordinary. Even if everything was perfect, he still wouldn't be happy, always finding something to complain about and, unfortunately, Félix appeared to be his favorite target.

While, admittedly, his uncle's criticism did affect him at first, he had eventually learned how to ignore it, especially after realizing that Gabriel was repeating himself. He would talk about how Félix's grades weren't good enough, despite the fact that Félix's grades were top-notch and all of his tutors had praised him. He would constantly remind Félix to keep his bedroom in order, but would never enter it and see for himself that it was meticulously clean. He would complain about Félix's choice of outfits and hairstyle, despite the fact that Félix was always dressed in a suit, just like Gabriel.

However, unlike his uncle, who would dress in white or tan, Félix preferred black and grey clothes. As for his hairstyle, he had to admit that he did like that it wasn't perfectly tamed on the back, refusing to cut it or comb it so it wouldn't stick out, a decision that drew his uncle's ire.

_You need to be perfect._

Félix frowned as he heard a cold voice echo in his mind and tried to ignore it. He didn't need to be reminded of his uncle's expectations of his own achievements or appearance. All his uncle desired was for him to be the perfect representation of the Agreste family, not caring whether Félix was interested in it or not. Aside from his complaints, he even tried to take control over Félix's schedule, attempting to force him to take piano lessons and modeling, but Félix put a veto to it. He knew that his uncle didn't think highly of him nor his interests, but he wasn't some spineless idiot who would do anything to please him.

Fortunately for him, it seemed that Gabriel had given up on trying to take full control of his free time, maintaining a cold and distant relationship with his nephew. He would occasionally gift Félix books he bought from his business trips as a sign of good will, but that was the bare minimum of their interaction as a family. Félix knew that, if he faltered even for a moment, his uncle would make sure to do everything to break him down further.

Rest assured, every day at the Agreste mansion had been a battle for him and he was quite proud of his victories. Anything Félix was allowed to do that Gabriel disapproved off counted as a win, including the fact that, rather than being driven home by his uncle's bodyguard, he was walking back to the mansion. Still, he wished that he could just walk right past it.

After he had arrived, he was relieved to see that his uncle's assistant wasn't waiting for him at the entrance. He figured that she was busy and walked quickly towards his room, the only place in this building where he could unwind in peace. At least, that's what he hoped for when he placed his backpack on the desk, right next to the missing wallet.

The moment it was safe for him to do so, Plagg flew out of Félix's backpack and started darting around his room and checking the cupboard for the stash of camembert cheese Félix was forced to buy for him. Félix just ignored him, walking instead over to his private library and trying to decide which book he would read in order to calm his nerves.

''So, what's the plan for tonight, Kid?'' Plagg asked him, holding a piece of cheese. When Félix didn't reply, Plagg grinned mischievously, adding in a teasing tone, ''After all, Ladybug had finally shown up. You must be over the moon!''

Félix's eyes merely flicked towards Plagg, before turning back to the bookshelf.

''You know well why I'm interested in her,'' he replied. ''Once I get that kiss, nothing else matters.''

Plagg snorted, giving Félix a knowing look as he hovered above him, leaning slightly against the bookshelf.

''Admit it, she does look cute, doesn't she?'' he said. Suddenly, the books on the top of the shelf fell all over a startled Félix, knocking him over. Plagg winced, floating over to Félix and giving him a worried look. He then grinned. ''Ha, did I hit a nerve?''

''You have no idea what you're talking about,'' Félix replied in an irritated tone, rubbing his head and picking up the books that were on the floor. He was already used to things falling on him. ''If it weren't for this curse, I wouldn't even be interested in her.''

As he got up and put the books back on his shelf, his gaze fell on the ring on his finger. He stared at it intently, remembering how he found it and wondering what the hell possessed him to put it on. In hindsight, he had no idea how much trouble this little trinket would cause him.

Félix sighed, finally deciding on his favorite book, a mystery novel about a detective who had an intense rivalry with a sly phantom thief, whom he attempted to hunt down, but she would always slip away. He then walked over to the couch and sat down, leaning against the pillows and trying to focus on the book's story. However, he couldn't, as his eyes would occasionally flick towards the ring, reminding him how his hobby caused his downfall.

It had been more than two weeks ago, just after he finally convinced his uncle to let him attend lycée. He was quite satisfied with his claimed victory over the old man and things seemed to get better when his uncle's assistant delivered a box filled with books to his room, souvenirs from his uncle's latest business trip.

Unfortunately for Félix, as he skimmed through the books, he realized that many of them were tattered and dirty, meaning that he couldn't add them to his private library. He felt quite irked, aware that Gabriel bought those on purpose, as he was well aware of his nephew's love for books and would make sure to make him feel miserable one way or another.

Still, Félix decided to make the best out of the situation. He started to pile the books into those which were readable and those which were unsalvageable, eventually coming across a decent-looking book that was hollow on the inside, as the pages in the middle had been cut out. Félix's eyes narrowed, feeling rather annoyed to see a perfectly good book being destroyed like this, but what caught his attention was the ring hidden inside the book.

_Interesting, but not too surprising, given how old this book appears to be. Someone might've decided to hide their family heirloom inside it and forgot about it._

He picked the ring up, examining it. It was black and resembled a cat's head, with a pair of green gems that represented the eyes and a red gem on the forehead. Félix figured that it was quite old and probably made out of expensive materials, but there were no carvings indicating to who the previous owner of the ring was. As he held it in his hand, the ring briefly shimmered, startling Félix. He tilted his head, staring at it for a moment, but then figured that it was probably just a trick of light.

Eventually, he found himself debating whether he should put it on or not, having a strange feeling about it, wondering if there was more to the ring than he thought. He did read enough books about mysterious artifacts and how they affected the protagonists, but he didn't really believe that it would apply to his situation. Finally, he slipped the ring on the middle finger of his right hand, realizing that it fitted him perfectly. He brushed with his his fingers across it, observing it.

Suddenly, the book he had been holding earlier fell apart, dissolving into ashes. Shocked, Félix quickly got up, hitting the bookshelf behind him and causing a bunch of books to drop on him.

 _''Oww…''_ He rubbed the back of his head, being completely baffled. _''What happened?''_

His eyes flicked down towards the ring, and he realized that he made a mistake by putting it on. He attempted to remove it from his finger, but no matter how much he pulled, it wouldn't come off.

Suddenly, a black light emerged from the ring, revealing itself to be a small black creature with cat ears, a cat tail, a pair of whiskers on his cheeks and one on his head. Félix stared at the creature, completely stunned. The creature then yawned, stretching its tiny arms and glanced at Félix with its big green eyes which had black cat-like slits as pupils, seemingly surprised to see him. It then smirked, a fang popping out of the corner of its mouth.

 _''Hello, my name is Plagg,''_ Plagg introduced himself, then started to fly around Félix. _''Do you have anything to eat? I haven't eaten a proper meal in ages and I could use some cheese.''_

 _''Wait, what are you?''_ Félix asked, still stunned.

 _''I had already told you, Kid, I'm Plagg, the Kwami of Misfortune, and you freed me from my dormant state when you put the Ring of the Black Cat on,''_ Plagg replied, then flew around, searching for anything edible. He was quite disappointed that the only thing he found were more books. Félix, on the other hand, wasn't fond of the kwami snooping around his room.

 _''First of all, don't call me Kid. I have a name, you know,''_ Félix replied angrily, only to get startled when Plagg flew up to him, giving him a mischievous grin.

 _''Then, what should I call you, Kid?''_ he asked.

 _''My name is Félix Agreste,''_ Félix told him, then rose an eyebrow. _''Also, what was that talk about 'misfortune'?''_

 _''To keep it short, the moment you put the ring on, you've been cursed with bad luck,''_ Plagg explained.

 _''You have got to be kidding me,''_ Félix muttered, his eyes widening as he remembered the earlier accident with the bookshelf. He once again tried to remove the ring, but it just wouldn't come off.

 _''That won't work, Kid,''_ Plagg said, drawing Félix's ire. _''In order to remove the Ring of the Black Cat, you will have to get a kiss from the owner of the Ladybug Earrings.''_

 _''What?''_ Félix stared at Plagg, completely perplexed. Plagg sighed, crossing his tiny arms and legs as he assumed a sitting position mid-air.

 _''Look, Kid, you're now the proud owner of a piece of jewelry that is known as the Miraculous, the other being the Ladybug Earrings,''_ he explained. _''While the Ring of the Black Cat is affected by a bad luck curse, the Ladybug Earrings are affected by a good luck charm, and in order to neutralize the bad luck curse and remove the ring, you will have to receive a kiss from whoever is the current owner of the Ladybug Earrings. Do you get it now?''_

 _''…Fine.''_ Félix glared at Plagg, having realized just what kind of life was awaiting him thanks to the Ring of the Black Cat. He then added irritatedly, _''Do you at least know who the current owner of the Ladybug Earrings is?''_

 _''Nope,''_ Plagg replied nonchalantly. Félix gave Plagg a look of disbelief, cursing himself for putting the ring on. Plagg just shrugged innocently, adding, _''There is one more thing I need to tell you.''_

 _''What is it? Something that would make me even more miserable?''_ Félix asked angrily.

 _''Actually, Monsieur 'Lucky' Agreste, I wanted to tell you about the benefits of the ring,''_ Plagg replied calmly, still having that mischievous look on his expression. Félix rose an eyebrow, giving him a doubtful look. _''The reason this Miraculous is known as the Ring of the Black Cat is because it also allows you to transform into the superhero Chat Noir.''_

 _''You can't be serious,''_ Félix muttered, getting slowly more and more agitated. _''Even if that's true, why would I even want to be a superhero? I have already enough responsibilities and problems to deal with and I don't need one more added to the pile.''_

 _''Well, it's not like you're forced to be a superhero,''_ Plagg replied dryly, with Félix giving him a pointed look and tapping the ring. Plagg ignored the implications. _''You own the ring now, meaning that you are the one who decides what to do with it. If you don't want to be Chat Noir, fine by me, but if you do get tempted, the magic words are 'Plagg, transform me!'.''_

Félix scoffed, his glare and posture telling Plagg that this wasn't going to happen. The kwami just shrugged, figuring that he'd better get used to living with his new grumpy holder. Nevertheless, there was a strange glint in his eyes, one that Félix had noticed. He had a bad feeling about this.

_I hate to admit it, but Plagg was right; I did get tempted._

Félix sighed as he flipped a page and glanced aside, noticing that Plagg had eaten his cheese and was now napping on the pillow next to him. During the past couple days, he realized that the black cat kwami was a lazy glutton who loved to prank him and cause trouble. Nevertheless, he couldn't say that Plagg didn't care about him, as he told him about the curse and how to get rid off it. Not to mention, he even encouraged him to use the Miraculous for his own gain.

_Not that I needed much convincing to use it. My uncle already made that decision for me._

It had been later that same night that he decided to use the ring. He had hoped that the dinner with his uncle would pass without any issues, but the old man just had to agitate him by questioning him about his decision to attend lycée.

_''I hope that you do understand that, if your grades slip or I get complaints about your behavior, you will be taken out of lycée and spend the rest of the year locked up in your room studying.''_

Félix lowered his fork, but didn't look up. He knew that his uncle was waiting for him to show some kind of reaction that he could criticize. Félix didn't want to give him that opportunity, well aware that he would get trapped into another conversation he wouldn't be able to fight through. He had to retreat.

 _''I'm going to my room. Good night,''_ he said as he stood up. When Gabriel didn't reply, Félix took it as a sign that he had the permission to leave. He quickly walked out of the dining room and to his bedroom, having a strange feeling in his chest, as if he was going to suffocate if he didn't get away from his uncle. Once in his room, he closed the door and locked it, then leaned against the door, taking a deep breath as he felt his heart race.

_''You look more grumpy than usual.''_

Félix rose his head, having almost forgotten about Plagg. The black cat kwami gave him a curious look, although there appeared to be something else as well – concern, perhaps?

Félix was silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at the ring on his hand, stepping away from the door and pacing across his room. He knew that he needed to get out of this place, maybe take a walk and sort his thoughts out. Anything was better than staying at a place where he felt like a prisoner.

 _''This is your ticket to freedom, Kid.''_ Félix looked up at Plagg, noting the mischievous grin on his expression, then glanced back at the ring. He nodded, a look of pure determination on his expression.

He lifted his hand, brushing with his fingers across the ring in a swift motion.

''Plagg, transform me!''

The red gem on the top of the cat's head started to glow in a purple light, as he held up his hand, clenching into into a fist. Plagg then got absorbed into the ring, with Félix rising his hand above his head as the ring released dark energy in the form of black orbs. The dark light completely enveloped him, trailing down his arm, torso and legs. He crossed his arms on his chest and turned around, then uncrossed his arms as the black light dispersed and revealed a form-fitting black leather-like suit, accompanied by a belt tail that was wrapped around his waist twice, criss-crossing in an ''x'' in the front and had a large silver belt buckle in the shape of a cat's head, and mid-thigh high boots. There was another burst of black light, with the dark orbs dispersing around him as his hair grew longer and messier, with black cat ears popping up on his head. He turned on his heel, revealing the black mask on his face and the large golden bell tied to his unzipped collar, and opened his eyes, which were now green, including the sclerae, and grinned, a fang popping out the corner of his mouth. He then slashed across the air with his claws and struck a pose.

Chat Noir stepped back, feeling baffled when he saw his new outfit. While the material felt quite comfortable and warm, he did have questions about the appearance of the suit itself.

 _''This… looks ridiculous,''_ he said dryly, flicking the bell that was hanging from the zipper and hearing a soft ringing. _''Was the bell really necessary?''_

''Well, the appearance of the suit depends on your inner most thoughts and needs.'' Chat Noir was a little surprised to hear Plagg's voice coming from the ring. ''You probably thought that this whole thing was ridiculous, so you got something ridiculous in return.''

 _''Right,''_ Chat Noir muttered, frowning as he walked over to the full-length mirror next to his closet. His attention then wandered to the cat ears and belt tail and he curiously reached for them, wondering whether the ears were real. He winced once he pulled them, realizing that they were firmly attached to his head. _''Yeah, they are real.''_

He observed himself in the mirror, noticing that the ears and belt tail would twitch and move according to his mood. When he attempted to look downcast, the belt tail lowered and the cat ears flattened against his head. When he tried to look alert, the cat ears sprung up and the belt tail curved up. Admittedly, while he still felt that he looked completely ridiculous in this outfit, as it was something he would never wear, he figured that he could get used to it.

 _''Is there anything else I should know about being Chat Noir?''_ he asked, glancing at the ring. _''Do I get any additional powers?''_

''As a matter of fact, you do,'' Plagg replied nonchalantly. ''Aside from the standard additional abilities, like boosted speed, endurance, strength, agility and a durable suit that protects you from most damage, you also get night vision and enhanced senses. You also get access to the moves _Black Storm_ and _Black Hole_.''

_''Elaborate.''_

'' _Black Storm_ allows you to create a orbs or discs of dark energy that allows you to blast your opponent, while _Black Hole_ let's you create black holes that allow you trap people,'' Plagg explained. ''In combination with your bad luck curse, those powers are also affected by your emotional state.''

 _''I see,''_ Chat Noir muttered, then clenched his fist as he grinned. _''That's interesting.''_

He glanced at the upper level of his room, where his private library was, but instead of taking the stairs towards it, he jumped, doing a somersault and landing right on the walkway. Satisfied, he walked over to the door that led to the balcony outside and closed it behind him, breathing in the fresh air.

His eyes glinted as he looked around, realizing just how easy it would be for him to sneak out and spend the night without worrying about his uncle or his private life in general. Now, he was Chat Noir, an unrestrained, free-spirited cat-themed superhero to whom any of the strict rules he had been used to didn't apply. There was nothing that could stop him from doing whatever he desired.

_Nothing except for the bad luck curse._

Félix realized that he had been reading the same paragraph over and over again. He sighed, closing the book and stared at the cover, memories flooding his mind. Being Chat Noir had provided him with an outlet he could use to escape this mansion and just roam through Paris whenever he wanted. He never really bothered to do any superhero-type of work, preferring to instead sit on the rooftops and gaze at the city or tests his abilities, as he wanted to be prepared for any kind of emergency. However, as the nights passed, he found himself slowly growing more and more restless. As much as he enjoyed the freedom he had, the only reason he kept going out as Chat Noir was because he hoped for Ladybug to appear, as his bad luck had started to affect him in noticeable ways.

 _Now that she finally did, all I need to do was to get her to kiss me and my curse will vanish. As for what will happen afterwards…_ Félix's eyes closed and he took a deep breath, unsure how to finish that thought. He glanced at the window, noting that it was late evening. He sat up, placing the book on the nearby coffee table and got up.

''We're going, Plagg,'' he said. The black cat kwami stirred, yawning and rubbing his eyes as he stretched.

''Already? I was having an amazing cat nap,'' he asked lazily, flying up to Félix, who crossed his arms. ''You know, Kid, maybe you too should take a nap. You might feel less grumpy afterwards.''

''Trust me, I'll feel less grumpy once I find Ladybug,'' Félix said as he brushed with his fingers across the ring. _''Plagg, transform me!''_

The ring started to glow in a purple light as he held up his hand, with Plagg getting absorbed into it. Félix rose his hand above his head, with a dark light enveloping him. Once it dispersed, Chat Noir stood in the room, grinning sinisterly. He jumped to the walkway on the upper level and exited through the balcony, landing on a nearby rooftop and looked at the night sky.

_Just be patient, M'lady. Your knight in black armour is coming._

**xXx**

After having overcome her fears and doubts the previous night about being a superhero, Bridgette felt more daring, deciding that tonight would be her first patrol. Having already transformed into Ladybug, she was currently parkouring across the rooftops, searching for any signs of trouble, but so far, she couldn't find anything out of the ordinary.

''It's not like this is an anime,'' Ladybug muttered to herself as she landed on the top of a building.

 _''What do you mean, Ladybug?''_ Tikki asked.

''Well, in an anime, after the protagonist gets their magical powers, the mascot that accompanies them usually warns them about whatever threat they need to fight against,'' Ladybug explained as she jumped on a chimney stack.

 _''As far as I know, there aren't any threats,''_ Tikki replied. _''Besides, as the current Ladybug, you're the one who decides what to do with your powers. I'm just here to give you advice.''_

''In other words, I will have to find out on my own whether there any threats I should fight against,'' Ladybug said, somersaulting and landing on a narrow walkway and ran across it. ''I'm fine with that.''

She continued with her patrol, not noticing a dark figure observing her from a nearby rooftop.

''There she is.'' There was a glint in Chat Noir's eyes as he smirked. He jumped from the rooftop and landed on the railing of the balcony below it, keeping an eye on Ladybug. ''Now I just have to-''

He was startled when he suddenly heard something growling at him. He turned his head, realizing that there was a Yorkshire terrier on the balcony, barking at him. His ears moved back and his tail curled up as let out a cat-like hiss at the dog, baring his fangs. The poor Yorkie suddenly whimpered and ran back into the apartment through the open balcony door, with Chat Noir chuckling in satisfaction. He then turned around, his expression faltering when he realized that the dog distracted him long enough to lose Ladybug out of his sight.

''Oh, com'n!'' he whined.

Meanwhile, Ladybug was making her way across the rooftops, eventually making a brief stop at one building to assess her surroundings. ''Let's see, I'm currently at-''

''M'lady!''

''Oh, no…''

Ladybug groaned as she heard a familiar voice. Due to other things being on her mind, she had completely forgotten about Chat Noir. However, considering how he expressed interest in her the previous night, was it really that surprising that he would attempt to follow her?

Chat Noir, on the other hand, was relieved that he had managed to catch up to her, even though he did notice that Ladybug wasn't really happy to see him. He figured that it wasn't that much of a deal, especially once he went through with his plan. One little peck on the lips and Ladybug wouldn't have to see him ever again.

''I'm so happy to see you, M'lady!'' Chat Noir said, looking elated as he walked up to Ladybug. ''It appears that, no matter how big Paris is, our paths will eventually cross. Maybe it is just coincidence, but it could be destiny.''

''Or, maybe I should check my suit for any tracker devices,'' Ladybug replied dryly, crossing her arms. ''Chat Noir, I had already told you that I'm not interested in you nor do I want to hang around with you while I'm doing my work as a superheroine.''

''Technically, you aren't doing anything at the moment,'' Chat Noir pointed out, a sly grin on his lips. ''Unless you want to tell me that the enemy is invisible.''

Ladybug rolled her eyes.

''I'm currently patrolling the city,'' she replied. ''While yes, I haven't found anything yet, I might-''

''Then, why don't you take a little break,'' Chat Noir approached her, leaning towards her and tilting his head. ''Maybe we could go out for some coffee or something like that. It's not like anything significant is going to happen.''

Suddenly, the two heard an explosion not too far from where they were standing. Their eyes widened and they turned to the source of the explosion.

''Wh-What happened?'' Chat Noir stammered, while Ladybug ran towards the explosion.

''I think you managed to somehow jinx us!'' she shouted back.

''What?'' Chat Noir was stunned, but followed her nonetheless. While he wasn't sure whether he wanted to get involved, he figured that he might as well see what had happened.

Meanwhile, Ladybug had managed to reach the building that had been affected by the explosion, surprised to see that it was a bank.

''Someone must've broken in,'' she muttered to herself as she observed the entrance to the bank from the building on the opposite side. Despite the fact that the bank was closed, the door was open and the glass was shattered.

''You don't say, M'lady.'' Ladybug turned her head and saw Chat Noir joining her. ''What I would like to know is who would use explosives in a bank robbery? That's a sure way to draw attention.''

''Maybe the intruder doesn't care about the attention he would get,'' Ladybug replied, looking back at the building. She and Chat Noir saw someone exiting the bank, carrying a black duffel bag. ''There he is.''

''I guess we should leave this one to the police, they will be here soon,'' Chat Noir said, only to be surprised when Ladybug had already jumped of the building. ''Ladybug!''

Ladybug ignored Chat Noir, instead focusing on the bank robber, as she wanted to make sure that he would stay on at the crime scene until the police arrived. However, just as she landed behind a car, the bank robber turned towards her, miming something with his arms. Listening to her gut feeling, Ladybug crouched down, only to hear the breaking of glass. As she looked up, she realized that the car she had been hiding behind was riddled with bullet holes.

''What the-''

Ladybug sneaked a glance, being quite stunned by the intruder's appearance. He appeared to be a tall man with short blond hair and periwinkle-coloured skin. He had a black derby hat on his head and was dressed in a dark gray and white striped shirt underneath a bluish-gray dress jacket, high white pants with black lining on the pockets and black and white boots. Surprisingly, while he didn't carry anything in his hands, aside from the already mentioned duffel bag, the way one of his hands was positioned made him look like he was holding a gun.

''Is he some kind of mime?'' Ladybug muttered as she crouched behind the car.

 _''Please, be careful,''_ Tikki warned her. Ladybug glanced at the wall in front of her, noticing a long shadow of the Mime thanks to the way how the street was lit. Even though she didn't see anything in his hands, his shadow was holding a gun.

''Seems like we're not dealing with an ordinary bank robber,'' Ladybug muttered. While she had questions, she knew that this wasn't the right time to ask anything. She sneaked a glance once again, noticing that the Mime was still standing on the same spot, looking at her and pointing his hand at her. Ladybug quickly retreated behind the car, only to hear more glass shattering, as well as recoil sounds when the invisible bullets hit the car and the wall next to her. She grabbed her compact, knowing that she would somehow have to get closer to him.

_''Black Storm!''_

Ladybug's head snapped upwards as she saw a disc of dark energy flying at the Mime, knocking him back. She quickly ran out of her hideout, turning her compact into a yo-yo and threw it at the Mime, with the yo-yo wrapping around the hand in which he was holding the gun. She pulled hard, causing him to stumble and let go of the duffel bag, then ran towards him, recalling the yo-yo and turning it into a staff.

The Mime managed to regain his balance and pointed the gun at Ladybug, but before he could fire it, a swift kick from Ladybug knocked it out of his hand and a swing from her staff connecting to his stomach knocked him back. However, as she attempted to attack him again, the Mime put his hands in front of himself. When Ladybug took another swing at him, she hit something solid instead, some kind of barrier. The Mime smirked at her, while Ladybug gritted her teeth, trying to figure out a way through the invisible wall the Mime had put up between them.

However, before any of them could make a move, they heard police sirens in the distance, with the sound growing louder. The Mime suddenly extended his hands, doing some kind of wave motion, then quickly booked it into another street. Ladybug wanted to follow him, but as she lifted her staff, she realized that there wasn't only a wall in front of her, but also on both sides, blocking her way out. Turning her staff back into a compact which she put back on the beaded string around her waist, she glanced down at the shadows, realizing that she could easily jump over the wall.

Unfortunately, the moment she had escaped her temporary prison, the police had arrived, their cars screeching to a halt. Ladybug was, to an extent, relieved to see them, but that relief completely vanished when she saw them pulling out their guns and pointing them at her.

''W-Wait, I can explain!'' Ladybug shouted at the officers, slowly panicking when she realized that they probably thought that she was responsible for this mess.

''Hold your hands up and turn around!'' one of the officers yelled at her. Ladybug gulped, realizing that the Mime would be long gone if she didn't do something.

''You got it all wrong, I wanted-''

Before she could finish her sentence, she got startled by Chat Noir, who had jumped down from the building, standing right in front of her and facing the police.

''Chat-'' Ladybug stared at Chat Noir, who smirked mischievously as he held up his hand, the ring on his finger shimmering.

''It appears that you still have a lot to learn, M'lady, but for now, I'd suggest we leave,'' he said, placing his hand, which was glowing in a black light, on the car next to him.

The moment he did that, the car's alarm blared loudly, with the doors popping up open, startling everyone. This move set off a chain reaction, as suddenly all of the cars in the street had their alarms set off, blaring loudly and distracting the police. Chat Noir then grabbed Ladybug's hand and the two ran into a nearby street from which they could get back on the rooftops.

Even though they were no longer on the street, they kept running across the rooftops until they were at a safe distance from the crime area, making sure they weren't being followed. Ladybug did try to keep an eye out for the Mime, as she and Chat Noir used the same street to escape, but it appeared that he got away. The only thought that comforted her was the fact that he had left the duffel bag, which she assumed contained the stolen money, at the crime scene.

''That was really stupid of you.''

Ladybug glanced at Chat Noir, noticing that he was glaring at her, a far cry from the seductive gaze he gave her earlier.

''Well, someone had to stop him,'' Ladybug huffed, her eyes flicking to the side as she sighed. ''Although, he still got away.''

''The issue I have is not that you let that guy get away,'' Chat Noir replied, his response confusing Ladybug, with her ahoge turning into a question mark. ''Answer me this – why do you even bother with acting like a superheroine?''

''Maybe because I genuinely want to help people, especially after being granted superpowers,'' Ladybug replied in a snarky tone, still puzzled by Chat Noir's sudden change in attitude.

''So, you would help people even if they don't care about you?'' he asked. Ladybug frowned.

''What are you talking about?'' she asked. Chat Noir suddenly fell silent and shook his head.

''Forget it,'' he replied, turning towards Ladybug, with a soft smile on his lips. ''Or rather, don't. All I want to say is that I'm afraid that people might not appreciate your effort; that they might shower you with gratitude one moment, then turn against you the next one and scold you whenever you make a genuine mistake. '' He took her hand, kissing the top of it. ''After all, you are still an amateur, if your appearance yesterday was your first night as Ladybug.''

''So, what?'' Ladybug pulled her hand away, frowning, her ahoge frizzled. ''How long have _you_ been active?''

''Over two weeks,'' Chat Noir replied, smirking. ''In comparison to you, I'm a veteran.''

''Yet you haven't done anything notable to let me even know you even exist,'' Ladybug replied, Chat Noir's ears flattening against his head as he gave her a downcast look. ''I may be an amateur, but I'm fairly certain I'm capable of performing under pressure, as well as dealing with people who might attempt to hurt me in some way.''

''I understand, you want to help others,'' Chat Noir told her, turning his charm on, his tail flicking. ''Don't worry, I'm not here to stop you.'' He leaned closer to her, causing Ladybug to shudder when he placed his claw under her chin. ''I'm simply here to look out for you, M'lady.''

Blushing slightly, Ladybug simply swatted his hand away, stepping back as she took a sharp breath.

''While I appreciate your assistance, I'd be happier if you kept your distance,'' she replied.

''Unfortunately, I'm afraid that this isn't possible,'' Chat Noir told her. ''It is hard to stay away from a beauty such as you.''

Ladybug rolled her eyes, not at all flattered by his compliment.

''Then, I'm going to stay away from you,'' she replied.

''Is that a challenge?'' Chat Noir winked, causing Ladybug to groan in annoyance.

She had realized that this was going to be a long night.


	4. The Mini Menace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi folks! Again, thank you for your support, with special thanks going to Dovahkiin795 for helping me out so much with this story.
> 
> Now, given how this story is based on the PV Trailer, which was an anime, this story will have a lot of descriptions and character reactions which are based on what one would see in an anime (like Bridgette's ahoge). Going further, if this story were an actual anime, I had figured that the opening song would be ''Never Lose'' from the anime Ace Attorney, while the ending song would be ''Kuyashisa wa Tane'' from the anime Digimon Adventure: (2020).
> 
> Anyways, I hope you'll enjoy the chapter!

**Entry 3**

**The Mini Menace**

_''I know to forcefully believe in freedom; This dark illusion is over. My evidence is that I'm never by myself.''_

_– **Never Lose** by Ace Attorney_

**xXxXxXx**

''What a night…''

Bridgette was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, still feeling sleepy. While it was Saturday morning, she luckily didn't have any morning classes, meaning that she managed to at least get some sleep after returning late from her patrol.

''How do you feel?'' Tikki flew up to her, hovering over her.

''Exhausted,'' Bridgette replied as she sat up. Tikki landed on her head. ''I also hate the fact that I let that guy escape instead of apprehending him.''

''I'm sure you're going to catch him next time,'' Tikki said, patting her head. Bridgette smiled tiredly.

''Hopefully,'' she said as she stood up, yawning and stretching her arms, then took a deep breath. ''Although, I'm more curious about the fact that this guy was a mime with superpowers. I mean, that's not something you see every day.'' She snorted, scratching her cheek with her finger sheepishly. ''Although, being a Ladybug and having a good luck charm as a superpower isn't normal either. I should better get used to seeing weird things from now on.''

''Would you consider Chat Noir weird?'' Tikki asked her, flying away from Bridgette's head as the teen got herself dressed and prepared for the day.

''I'd say that he's more annoying than weird,'' Bridgette replied. Having dressed up, she combed her hair, binding them into her signature pigtails, her ahoge drooping as she realized something. ''Although, I completely forgot to thank him for helping me out with the Mime.''

''I'm sure you're going to see him tonight again, so you can thank him then,'' Tikki replied, with Bridgette giving her a bitter smile.

''Yeah, and afterwards I can deal with him chasing me all around Paris,'' she replied. She then smiled, holding both her arms up and fist-pumping. ''Nevertheless, this won't stop me from carrying on with my duties.''

''That's the spirit!'' Tikki cheered, following Bridgette, who had grabbed a white frilly waist apron from the dresser, down the trapdoor to the connected kitchen and living room area. Luckily for them, Mei was at the tea shop, so Tikki was able to fly around without the fear of being seen. Both she and Bridgette had agreed that it was probably for the best to keep the Miraculous and her existence a secret from Bridgette's grandmother. Bridgette made toast for both of them, the two enjoying their breakfast in peace. ''So, what do you plan to do today, aside from going after the Mime during your patrol? You told me that you don't have school today and I'm curious about your hobbies.''

''I usually help out my grandmother in the tea shop, that is, as long as I'm not busy with other stuff,'' Bridgette told Tikki, who was done with her breakfast. ''While she primarily sells tea leaves, there is also a café setting for those who don't just want to sample tea.''

''I assume that your grandmother taught you a lot about brewing tea,'' Tikki said, landing on Bridgette's head.

''That's right and if you want, I could brew something for you,'' Bridgette replied, placing the dirty dishes into the dishwasher.

''Thank you!'' Tikki chirped. Bridgette simply smiled as she walked downstairs, tying the apron around her waist. She went down the stairs, entering the back room of the shop, where Tikki hid, and walking over to the entrance to the shop, where she found her grandmother chatting with one of their regulars.

''Good morning!'' Bridgette greeted the two.

''Good morning to you too, Bridgette! You just came here at the right time,'' Mei replied. ''Estelle has been quite picky today with the samples and we'd need a third opinion here.''

''What's the matter, Mme. Boleyn?'' Bridgette asked.

''I've been drinking only sweet hibiscus tea for the past weeks and I figured I should try something new today,'' Mme. Boleyn replied, pointing at the cups. ''I've already tried the Blood Orange sample, but it feels as if it's missing something. I want something with a more juicy flavour.''

''Well, a good way to bring out the flavour would be to brew the tea with less water and add fresh or candied fruit to it,'' Bridgette said, briefly glancing at Mei, who nodded in approval. She looked back at Mme. Boleyn. ''As for the tea, Blood Orange is a classic blend that pairs well with other fruits, as well as chocolate, and it always tastes delicious, no matter how brewed.''

''I see,'' Mme. Boleyn said, smiling. ''I can't really say no to a tea that goes with chocolate, especially if I'm going to make it for my grandchildren. They love sweets and they love fruit, so I guess I'll go with it.''

Just then, the bell rung and a young woman entered the shop, with Bridgette leaving the counter to help her out. Her share of the workload usually consisted of helping the customers finding the right tea samples, as well as brewing tea and acting as a waitress for those who decided to have cup of tea in the shop. While her presence wasn't necessary, as Mei could handle the shop on her own, Bridgette liked helping her grandmother and learning from her.

However, despite her work, her mind would constantly wander back to the previous night, to her experience as Ladybug, her having to deal with Chat Noir and the fact that she still had no idea how to approach Félix. While she had figured that she could deal with being Ladybug once she transformed, Félix was still on her mind.

_While the letter didn't work, the pain au chocolat did, even though I may have been just lucky there._ Bridgette smiled softly as she reminded herself of the Ladybug Earrings and her good luck charm. _I haven't experienced anything I could consider a misfortune, so it seems that I'm safe, for now. I don't want to really use them to talk to Félix, but if the good luck charm helps me get him to notice me…_

''Hey, Bri!'' Bridgette turned around, having cleaned a table after a previous customer left, and saw Claude, who was holding a basketball under his arm. ''I see that you're busy.''

''I just have to clean this up,'' Bridgette replied, wiping down the table and picking up the tea cup and saucer. ''What are you doing here?''

''I wanted to ask you whether you wanted to go for a walk near the Seine,'' Claude said. ''I have also planned to visit the basketball court there. Do you want to come along?''

''Sure,'' Bridgette replied, glancing at her grandmother, who nodded, having overheard their conversation. Claude sheepishly waved at her, while Bridgette left the tea cup in the sink behind the counter and took off her apron. ''I'll be back soon.''

She went upstairs to grab her purse, which had the same dark red and orange flower pattern as her backpack and stuffed her wallet, notepad, pen and keys into it.

''Are we going somewhere?'' Tikki, who had followed her, asked her.

''Yeah, we'll go on a walk with Claude,'' Bridgette explained, unzipping her purse. ''Do you think you could hide inside it?''

Tikki nodded, flying into the purse, which Bridgette then slung over her shoulder. She then went downstairs, joining Claude.

''Don't come back too late,'' Mei shouted after her as they exited the shop. Bridgette just waved back, then followed Claude.

''So, how have you been doing?'' he asked.

''Fine, I guess,'' Bridgette replied.

''Allegra had told me about the letter,'' Claude said, giving her a sour smile. ''I'm sorry that it didn't work out.''

''Yeah, right,'' Bridgette said sarcastically, giving him a knowing look. ''Claude, we both know you don't like Félix, you don't have to act as if you feel sorry for me failing to tell him anything.''

''Fine,'' Claude sighed in defeat. ''However, that's only because I'm worried about you. You know that I don't want to see you get hurt.''

''I have already told you that there's no need to worry about me. I'm not hurt and I'm already working on my next attempt to approach him,'' Bridgette replied confidently, fist-pumping. ''I can handle this.''

''Still, even if you manage to get him to talk to you, what will happen if you discover that he isn't what you think he was?'' Claude asked her. Bridgette's ahoge drooped.

''I guess I would be disappointed,'' she said thoughtfully. ''But, I'm still willing to take the risk.''

''Seems like I just can't change your mind,'' Claude sighed. Bridgette elbowed him playfully, winking, with Claude smiling, aware that it was her way of telling him to have a little faith in her.

''You always look out for me, but I need to take a stand once in a while,'' Bridgette told him.

''Okay, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to suddenly start liking Agreste,'' Claude replied.

''That's fine with me,'' Bridgette told him.

''Anyways, have you heard about what happened last night?'' Claude asked. Bridgette felt a knot in her stomach, but shook her head. Claude reached for his smartphone and searched for something on it, coming across a video. He and Bridgette stopped walking, with Claude showing her a video titled _The Mini Menace & The Alley Cat_. ''There had been a bank robbery, but… Well, here, someone took a video of it and it went viral…''

Bridgette's eyes widened in surprise as she watched the video, her ahoge standing up like an exclamation mark. The video itself was shaky, obviously taken via a smartphone camera and a little dark, with the owner, who kept quiet during the whole video, using the zoom feature to get a better look of the action. Said action was the fight between her and the Mime, right up to the point when the police had arrived and the Mime escaped, capturing also the part where Chat Noir had caused all the cars in the street to malfunction, which let them get away.

''Uh, wow…'' Bridgette muttered, hoping that Claude mistook the terror in her eyes for genuine shock. She completely forgot about the possibility of having bystanders take a video of her.

''Check the comment section.'' Claude handed her the smartphone over. Bridgette took it, scrolling through the comments. There were some questioning it, even calling it fake or staged, but there were some who were intrigued by what they had seen, wondering if they were some kind of superheroes, with others calling them dangerous or a menace. However, all of them called Ladybug and Chat Noir with the nicknames the poster of the video did – The Mini Menace and The Alley Cat. Bridgette's eyes were wide and blank, her jaw dropped.

_Not only did I manage to let a criminal escape, I'm also being labeled as a menace. My career as a superheroine is over before it even began._

''Bri, are you okay?''

Bridgette snapped out of her thoughts and gave Claude a nervous smile.

''Yeah, I'm fine!'' she replied, giving him the smartphone back, her ahoge frizzled. Claude rose an eyebrow, clearly having his doubts, with Bridgette quickly brainstorming on how to salvage her reaction. ''It's just… Do you think this video is real?''

''It seems so,'' Claude replied. ''I checked the news and sure, there had been a bank robbery reported, but unfortunately, there isn't anything about the Mini Menace or the Alley Cat.''

''I see…'' Bridgette knew that she would have to stay out of the spotlight. The last thing she needed was having reporters swarm her and question her about her identity. ''Still, why are people calling that girl the Mini Menace? I mean, with that costume on, she looks like a ladybug to me.''

''Honestly, I think Mini Menace sounds much better than Coccinelle,'' Claude replied.

''How about Ladybug?'' Bridgette asked, her eyes narrowing. Claude shrugged.

''I guess it works,'' he said, then chuckled. ''It's still better than Alley Cat.''

''I agree with that,'' Bridgette said, grinning deviously as she thought about her partner. _Poor Chat Noir… I wonder what he has to say about this._

**xXx**

''The Alley Cat…'' Félix glared furiously at his smartphone, gritting his teeth. ''I'm being treated like a joke.''

''You should better get used to it,'' Plagg said, popping out of Félix's backpack, a wide smile on his face. Unable to hold it back anymore, he burst out laughing. ''The Alley Cat- Hey, how about you changed your name from Chat Noir to Alley Cat? Com'n, it'll be fun!''

''Shut up,'' Félix growled, glancing back at the video, his eyes narrowing. ''This is humiliating.''

''Well, if you go through with your plan, the Alley Cat would vanish and only the Mini Menace would remain,'' Plagg replied, still grinning. ''So, why are you so upset?''

Félix didn't reply, but instead pocketed his smartphone, getting up from the bench he was sitting on. Plagg frowned, not really satisfied with Félix's silence, but he was aware that he probably managed to hit a nerve with his question. For all his talk about not wanting to be Chat Noir, Félix still wanted some respect while he was Chat Noir, but refused to admit it.

Nevertheless, his holder had at least learned how to blow off steam. Plagg had often seen Félix keeping his opinions to himself and bottling up his emotions, with the only thing showing his distaste being his body language, and he was glad to see him get annoyed over something petty like a nickname the public gave his alter ego rather than just scoff at it or ignore it. He had a feeling that Félix's uncle may have had a hand in this kind of behavior.

Félix, on the other hand, didn't appear to be bothered to pursue the subject. He had managed to get out of the mansion today and planned to take a walk along the Seine to calm his nerves and think about his next move concerning Ladybug, replaying the conversation they had in his head.

_''Answer me this – why do you even bother with acting like a superheroine?''_

_''Maybe because I genuinely want to help people, especially after being granted superpowers.''_

_''So, you would help people even if they don't care about you?''_

_She never answered my question, although, to be fair, I never gave her the chance to answer it._ Félix's eyes narrowed. _How should I approach her?_

''You know, you could tell her about your curse,'' Plagg said, popping his head out of Félix's backpack.

''Forget it,'' Félix replied sharply. ''I don't want her to know anything about it.''

''Why?'' Plagg persisted.

He frowned when Félix didn't reply, then smirked. He flew out of the backpack just as Félix was passing a tree and then tapped it. A few bigger twigs with leaves and seeds fell off and hit Félix in the head. The teen rubbed his head, trying to clean out the leaves and comb his hair back and looked up, glaring at Plagg, who waved back mischievously.

Feeling annoyed, Félix figured it would be the best to just walk away, but unfortunately, his bad luck only worsened.

''Hey, Félix!''

_Why me?!_

Félix tightened his grip around the strap of his backpack and pretended he didn't hear Bridgette calling out for him. Unfortunately for him, Bridgette had set her mind on making him notice her and ran over to him, stepping right in front of him and blocking his path.

''Hey, Félix!'' she said again, this time louder. She wasn't fazed at all by Félix's glare, smiling back instead, her ahoge curved into a heart shape. ''How are you doing?''

''Fine, I guess,'' Félix grumbled, his tone making it obvious that he wasn't in the mood for having a conversation. Bridgette completely ignored it.

''Great,'' she said. ''So, where are you going? If it's the same direction, we could walk together if you want?''

Félix noticed her gesturing behind him and turned his head, seeing Claude approaching them. Unlike Bridgette, Claude wasn't happy to see Félix and, frankly, Félix shared the sentiment.

''Hey, Agreste,'' Claude greeted him apprehensively, his eyes narrowed.

''Savard,'' Félix muttered curtly, with the two teens glaring at each other for a moment. Meanwhile, Bridgette was left standing awkwardly between the two, having a bad feeling about how this meeting would turn out.

''I haven't expected to see you here,'' Claude told Félix in a slightly teasing tone. ''I thought you'd be locked inside your room and reading a book, or something like that.''

''What I'm doing is none of your business,'' Félix replied, then glared at Bridgette. ''Neither do I want to accompany you. Leave me alone.''

''But, I…'' Bridgette trailed off as Félix turned around, walking away in the opposite direction. She faltered, her ahoge drooping.

''What's wrong with him?'' Claude muttered. He was aware that he may have drawn Félix's ire with his comment, but he didn't believe that it was something the latter would get upset about.

''Something's bothering him,'' Bridgette replied in a quiet tone. _I wish I knew what it was. Maybe, I could help him somehow._

**xXx**

It was late evening and Ladybug was once again doing her patrols on the rooftops of Paris. However, this time, it wasn't just her searching for any potential troublemakers and criminals; she was focused on finding the Mime and apprehending him in order to make up for her mistake from the previous night.

''Hopefully we'll manage to locate the Mime tonight,'' Ladybug said. ''I mean, my power is a good luck charm, so I'm bound to run into him again, especially since I want to find him to make sure that he doesn't hurt anyone.''

_''I'm sure things are going to turn out fine,''_ Tikki replied confidently as Ladybug vaulted over a chimney stack. _''After all, you've put a lot of effort into this investigation, even going so far to make a map of the places you wanted to visit.''_

''Right, but it's not going to be easy,'' Ladybug replied, rushing across a narrow rooftop and landing on another apartment complex, then taking a leap and landing on another building, then leaping towards another building, her hair ribbons trailing behind her. ''Still, I think I might be able to cover the distance like this.''

_''So, which place is our first destination, then?''_ Tikki asked.

''I'll have to check which one is the closest,'' Ladybug replied, somersaulting over to another building and landing in a crouch, then getting up and briefly turning her head back, before turning back and sighing. The past few streets she had passed had a bunch of people walking through and she sincerely hoped that no one had seen her.

''Lovely to see you again, M'lady.''

Ladybug's pigtails and ahoge rose up and she quickly turned around, seeing Chat Noir standing right behind her. He appeared to be quite amused by her shocked reaction.

''When did you get here?'' she said, feeling a little angry that he had sneaked up on her.

''I've been following you for a while,'' Chat Noir admitted, smirking, his tail flicking. ''As for my surprise entrance, did you really expect for a cat not to be sneaky?''

''Remind me to put a…'' Ladybug trailed off when Chat Noir flicked his bell, beaming. Ladybug's expression fell flat. ''Oh, right, you already have one.''

''I guess you could say that Stealth is my middle name,'' Chat Noir replied smugly.

''What's your first name? Alley Cat?'' Ladybug crossed her arms, watching Chat Noir as his ears flattened against his head. He frowned.

''So, you saw that video?'' he asked, with Ladybug nodding. Chat Noir huffed, crossing his arms. ''I can't believe they called me Alley Cat! Who came up with that?! At least they could've called me Black Cat based on my suit!''

''At least your nickname makes sense,'' Ladybug replied, feeling amused by Chat Noir's complaints. ''I have no idea why they call me Mini Menace.''

Chat Noir tilted his head, his tail flicking as he observed her carefully. He then held up his palm above Ladybug's head, moving it up and down, then between her and himself, as if measuring something. Ladybug stared at him with a puzzled look on her expression.

''You're short,'' he concluded. Ladybug stared at him baffled, only to get flustered when Chat Noir placed his claw under her chin, giving her a seductive look. ''And, you're incredibly cute.''

Ladybug was speechless, her cheeks turning a visible shade of red. She quickly took a step back and tried to focus on being angry rather than being flustered. ''Who are you calling short?! I'm at a perfectly average height for my age!''

Chat Noir didn't appear to be rattled by her outburst, smiling instead at her, a fang popping out the corner of his mouth. ''I thought you'd be more upset about me calling you cute.''

Ladybug pouted and crossed her arms, turning away, trying to show that she wasn't affected by his comment. ''Frankly, I have better things to do than to banter with you.''

''What are you up to?'' Chat Noir asked, a little disappointed that Ladybug refused to respond to his comment. Ladybug briefly turned her head towards him, her eyes narrowed, then turned away. Chat Noir's ears lowered as he realized that she was relentless and that she wasn't going to let him get close to her unless he put more effort into it. ''Maybe I could help you?''

Ladybug remained silent for a few seconds, obviously contemplating his offer. Eventually, she sighed and turned towards him. ''As long as you stop flirting with me…''

''I'm sorry, I can't promise that,'' Chat Noir cut her off, only to be met with Ladybug's glare.

''At least prove to me that you can focus on a mission, you Casanova wannabe!'' she yelled back, startling Chat Noir.

''…I guess this is where the 'menace' part comes from,'' Chat Noir muttered, with Ladybug still glaring at him, her ahoge frizzled.

''Trust me, I can get much worse,'' she told him in a threatening tone. Chat Noir's ears flattened against his head and his belt tail lowered, a nervous look on his expression. However, he managed to quickly bounce back.

''I assure you, M'lady, I won't disappoint you,'' Chat Noir replied. ''You can trust me with this case.''

''Fine,'' Ladybug told him after a moment of silence. ''I had planned to search for the Mime.''

''The Mime?'' Chat Noir rose an eyebrow.

''That's what I'm calling that guy from last night, at least until I get his actual name'' Ladybug replied. ''I know it's not particularly creative name, but I don't know how else to refer to him.''

''Okay, I get it,'' Chat Noir said, watching Ladybug as she reached for her compact and held it up, trailing with her finger across the middle. The mid-section of the compact opened like ladybug wings, revealing a bright red hammerspace from which she took out a folded piece of paper. She then closed the compact, putting it back on the beaded string around her waist and unfolded the piece of paper, which turned out to be a map. Ladybug pointed at the red circles she made.

''I did some investigation and it turns out that there had been two more bank robberies reported in the past two weeks,'' she explained, with Chat Noir realized that the marked spots were the banks that had been targeted by the Mime. ''The pattern was the same – he would enter the building, disable the cameras and then blow up the vault. That was the explosion we had heard last night.''

''This guy really doesn't care about being subtle, does he?'' Chat Noir said.

''Apparently,'' Ladybug replied. ''That's why I figured that I should try and check on every bank in the city in case he decides to target another one.''

''Wait, every bank?'' Chat Noir gave Ladybug a questioning look. ''That's going to take us all night! I haven't signed up for this!''

''I didn't ask you to come along either,'' Ladybug pointed out, folding the map back and storing it into her compact. ''If you want to be whiny and complain, you can stay here. I'll do this patrol by myself.''

She then ran across the rooftop and leaped onto another building.

''W-Wait!'' Chat Noir shouted after her, following her. ''Ladybug!''

''What is it?'' Ladybug stopped, turning towards Chat Noir, who landed on all fours on the chimney stack above her.

''I'm curious about something,'' Chat Noir replied. ''Are you completely sure that the Mime would attempt to rob a bank again? He might as well go after a jewelry store or something similar. Not to mention, we don't even know whether he would strike again tonight.''

''I did think about the possibility of him changing targets, but I don't think that he would do that,'' Ladybug replied. ''Also, I know that I there's no way of knowing when he might appear, but I want to do something and this is the best I could come up with.''

''You're really determined to apprehend him, huh?'' Chat Noir mutterd, then smiled mischievously. ''How about this? If I help you find the Mime and take him down, I get a kiss from you as a reward.''

''Forget it,'' Ladybug replied, shaking her head and leaving. Chat Noir looked annoyed for a moment, then quickly followed her.

''Please, M'lady!''

''I had told you already, if you don't want to be part of this, then don't. I'm perfectly fine handling the Mime by myself,'' Ladybug replied, feeling slightly irritated by Chat Noir's persistence. ''Besides, apprehending a criminal should be reward enough.''

Chat Noir pouted, his eyes narrowing.

''Enough for you,'' he muttered bitterly. Nevertheless, he followed her, as he knew that he had no other choice. He needed Ladybug's help and the only way to get it was to figure out how to convince her to help him.

_''You still haven't told her anything,''_ Plagg said, with Chat Noir glancing at the ring.

''For the last time, I'm not going to tell her about the curse,'' he replied, gritting his teeth.

_''Fine, your call,''_ Plagg replied.

Chat Noir took a sharp breath and shook his head, calming down a little, and and continued with the patrol, hoping that he would get the opportunity to prove his worth to Ladybug.

**xXx**

_We are not getting anywhere with this._

Chat Noir had managed to keep his mouth shut for the most part of their patrol, hoping that, if he played along with Ladybug's plan, that she would be more open to reward him with a kiss. However, he did notice that Ladybug was getting slowly more and more frustrated. Sure, she was glad that nothing had happened, but it seemed that she really wanted for the Mime to appear so she could apprehend him.

_I sincerely doubt that he is going to appear at our convenience._

If he had to be honest, he too had hoped that they might encounter the Mime, even imagining himself catching the Mime and Ladybug kissing him out of gratefulness. Unfortunately for both of them, it seemed that neither of their expectations would be fulfilled tonight.

''I hate to say, M'lady, but it seems like we're out of luck,'' Chat Noir said once they stopped on a building, with Ladybug consulting her map. There were several 'X' marks on the places where they had been previously.

Hearing his comment, Ladybug glanced at him, giving him a weird look. Chat Noir rose an eyebrow, as it seemed that, for a moment, it looked like she was offended by what he told her. She then shook her head.

''There are still a few places I want to check on,'' she told him. ''I'm sure that we will find him eventually.''

She gave Chat Noir a determined look, with Chat Noir noticing a brief glow coming from her earrings. She then turned around, giving Chat Noir a moment to look at his ring, which also started to glow. A moment later, the light that was coming from both of their Miraculous was extinguished. Chat Noir's eyes widened in surprise, but he then frowned, understanding what was going on.

_I doubt that it would be a good idea to use your power when I'm so close to you, Ladybug._ He glanced at her as she placed the map back into her compact. _But, you don't know that, right?_

He continued following her, figuring that she would eventually find out on her own. She was still learning how to use her powers properly and he was sure that it wouldn't take long until she learned the truth about his powers.

_I'm not looking forward to this conversation._

Chat Noir took a look at his surroundings as he landed on another building, realizing that he was familiar with the area. If the map in his head was correct, they were going towards Jardin des Tuileries. He grinned as a plan started forming in his head.

_Maybe I could ask Ladybug to go with me for a walk there after the patrol. It would be just the two of us, relaxing and talking, and perhaps, if I convince her, the inevitable might happen._

Satisfied with his idea, he caught up to Ladybug, who appeared to take another stop on a building right across the park. He walked up to her, noticing that she was lost in her thoughts.

''M'lady?'' Ladybug turned towards him, with Chat Noir tilting his head slightly. ''What's on your mind?''

''Nothing,'' Ladybug replied, turning her head away.

However, Chat Noir didn't miss the troubled look on her expression. He wanted to ask her about it, but his ears twitched as he heard a whistling sound.

''Watch out!'' He grabbed Ladybugs arm and pulled her down, shielding her as whatever passed above them suddenly exploded. The two looked up, both shocked.

''What was what?'' Ladybug asked, still stunned.

''No idea,'' Chat Noir replied, him and Ladybug slowly getting up and looking around. They both turned towards where the this explosive came, seeing a person standing on the street. Chat Noir's eyes narrowed as he stepped closer, his night vision giving him a better look at the person who had attacked him.

''It's the Mime,'' he said, tilting his head slightly, feeling puzzled. ''I think he's holding some kind of… rocket launcher.''

''That explains the explosion,'' Ladybug said, her eyes narrowing as she glared at the Mime. ''Let's go.''

While she leaped off the building, Chat Noir hesitated, having crouched down on all fours. He knew that he probably should keep his distance, as Ladybug, despite her inexperience, would fare better in a fight thanks to her good luck charm. On the other hand, he couldn't miss a chance to make a good impression on his Lady. He grinned, leaping off the building and following Ladybug, who was already chasing the Mime towards Jardin des Tuileries.

Ladybug was hot on the Mime's heels, wanting to catch him before they drew more attention. Heaven knows who else had heard that explosion and she was lucky enough that there wasn't anyone in this part of the park. She grabbed her compact, turning it into a yo-yo and threw it at the Mime, the yo-yo wrapping around his wrist. She pulled it back, stopping him in his tracks.

''You're not getting anywhere!'' she growled when the Mime turned towards her.

He smirked sinisterly, holding up his other hand and pointing it at Ladybug. Ladybug was forced to release him in order to dodge the bullets, jumping away and turning her yo-yo into a shield mid-air, with the bullets bouncing off it. The Mime stopped firing and mimed something else, a short sledgehammer going by the shadow it cast on the ground, and charged at Ladybug. Ladybug lifted her shield up, with the sledgehammer connecting and causing her to back down. She realized that the Mime was far stronger than she had initially assumed.

The moment the Mime lifted his sledgehammer to strike her down again, she jumped back, converting the shield into her staff and charged back at him, landing a hit in the gut. He managed to recover, however, and swung the sledgehammer at her. She dodged it again, finding herself leaning against a tree. She crouched down when the Mime swung again, hitting the tree behind her, and slammed the staff into his chest, causing him to stagger backwards.

Ladybug managed to slip back onto the path and turned towards the Mime, who had recovered from her attack, turning towards her and twirling the sledgehammer in his hand.

_''Black Storm!''_

However, before he could lunge at her, a disc of black energy hit him, causing a minor explosion, with smoke covering his surroundings. Ladybug glanced at a nearby tree, seeing Chat Noir leap off it and land on the other side, across her, with the Mime standing between the two. However, before she could say anything, something came flying out of the smoke, hitting her square in the chest and causing her to stumble back, her staff falling out of her hands, and knocking the wind out of her.

''Ladybug!'' Chat Noir called out for her just as the Mime stepped out of the smoke and turned his attention towards him, miming the sledgehammer again and charging at him. Chat Noir assumed a battle stance, dodging the attack and striking back with his claws, barely missing clawing across the Mime's chest. However, he managed to land a kick in the chest, only for the Mime to respond with a punch to the face, finishing off with a sledgehammer to the gut that sent him flying.

Ladybug, who felt as if a car had hit her, got into a crouch just as the Mime turned towards her and did a backsault, grabbing the staff that was lying on the ground behind her and charged again at the Mime, hoping for a lucky hit. She knew that she needed to finish this fight as soon as possible.

Unfortunately for her, Chat Noir had the same idea.

_''Black Hole!''_

He pressed his hand against the ground, his ring sparking with dark energy, just as the Mime charged at Ladybug. The issue was, Ladybug was much faster, and she found herself stepping into a black hole that appeared right below her, causing her to sink into it.

''What the hell?!'' She glared at Chat Noir, who gave her a shocked look, clearly having not expected this to happen. The Mime, on the other hand, appeared to be perfectly fine with it, grinning as he slammed the sledgehammer downwards at Ladybug.

She managed to block it by using her staff, gritting her teeth as she felt sinking deeper into the black hole.

_''Black Storm!''_ Chat Noir yelled, with Ladybug realizing what he was up to.

The moment he sent a disc of dark energy flying, Ladybug pulled her staff back, turning it into a shield. However, the Mime managed to dodge Chat Noir's attack and stepped away from the two, the disc hitting Ladybug's shield. Ladybug then turned the shield into a yo-yo, glaring at Chat Noir, who got up, as she threw it at a nearby tree, wrapping the string around it and pulling herself out of the black hole. They turned towards the Mime, who reached for something behind his back, some kind of cylindrical canister. He ripped the top off with his teeth and threw it at the two, smoke exploding all around them.

Ladybug and Chat Noir started coughing, unable to see anything. However, Chat Noir's ears twitched as he picked up the sound of steps, realizing that the Mime was getting away. Not only that, but he could hear someone running towards them and, the moment the smoke cleared a little, he lunged at Ladybug, picking her up bridal-style and jumping onto a nearby tree, hiding in the foliage.

''Chat, what are you-?!'' Ladybug cut herself off when she saw people approaching the spot she and Chat Noir were at a moment earlier. She was breathing heavily, her heart racing, and, given how tightly he was holding her, with his arm wrapped around her waist, Chat Noir didn't seem to be in any better condition. She waited for a bit to recover, giving Chat Noir a side-eye when she realized that he still had his arm wrapped around her waist. Chat Noir caught on, letting go of her. Ladybug took a deep breath, sighing. ''We should better leave before we get caught on video again.''

''I wholeheartedly agree,'' Chat Noir replied, adding in a sheepish tone, ''I apologize for the mess, M'lady. I guess it was just bad timing on my part.''

''Next time, be more careful with what you're doing,'' Ladybug replied in a frustrated tone, glaring at him. Her expression made it clear to Chat Noir that his fighting skills certainly did not impress her as he hoped they would.

Once the two made sure that the coast was clear, they used the trees as a way to get back on the street, leaping onto a nearby street lamp and landing on the building closest to them. Ladybug turned back towards the park, her brow furrowed as she stared at it thoughtfully.

''Honestly, it kind of felt as if he was testing us,'' she said.

''Why would he do that?'' Chat Noir asked, with Ladybug frowning.

''Unfortunately, I don't know, but I have a bad feeling that we eventually might find out.''


	5. The Curse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back and I would like to thank everyone for your support!
> 
> Honestly, I had to make some changes in this chapter, setting up some things for the future and leaving it on a cliffhanger. Rest assured, this Ladybug and Chat Noir still have a long way to go when it comes to learning how to work as a team.
> 
> Nevertheless, I still hope you're going to enjoy it.

**Entry 4**

**The Curse**

_''There's no room for excuses in a reality that's been shaped by lies, where miracles are twisted and turned about; Let's never ever lose! Whether it be 'right or left', whether it be 'real or false', to make judgements and determine the facts, we need nothing but the truth.''_

_– **Never Lose** by Ace Attorney_

**xXxXxXx**

Bridgette stared at the screen of her tablet, sighing. She had gotten a message from Allan earlier, who commissioned her to draw him a new avatar image for his gamer profile, which she happily accepted, as it gave her something to do, distracting her from the sense of failure that had been creeping up her spine and whispering into her ear.

 _That battle didn't really go as I wanted it to._ Bridgette leaned her chin against her hand as she worked on the background for the avatar. _It was a complete disaster and to make things worse, the Mime had escaped once again._

''Bri, are you okay?'' Tikki asked, noticing the troubled look on Bridgette's expression. Bridgette took a deep breath, glancing at Tikki.

''I've just been thinking about what had happened last night and trying to figure out at what point I made a mistake that let the Mime get away,'' she replied.

''I don't think you made any mistakes,'' Tikki replied. ''As a matter of fact, I think you handled yourself quite well during the fight.''

''It's not just the fight Tikki, but everything that had led up to it,'' Bridgette replied. ''I had thought that I would be able to find the Mime on my own, but as it turned out, he was the one who had found me. I agree with what Chat Noir had said, that there was no way for us to know whether the Mime would show up or not, yet he did and he deliberately attacked us, even thought he didn't have to. There was absolutely no reason for him to do that.''

''You did say that you felt as if he was testing you,'' Tikki said.

''That's the only explanation I could come up with that actually made sense,'' Bridgette replied. ''It is quite possible that, after learning that there were other people with superpowers in Paris, he wanted to test us to see whether we are a legitimate threat. The only question that remains is whether we have proven ourselves to be worthy opponents or not.''

''Well, he did retreat, so maybe he felt intimidated,'' Tikki suggested. Bridgette rose an eyebrow.

''After the amateurish performance we gave?'' she asked in a snarky tone. ''I doubt that. At best, he may be considering us a nuisance.'' Her eyes narrowed as a determined look formed on her expression. ''Rest assured, I will prove to him that I can be a very formidable opponent.''

''I'm sure that you will be able to show him that he shouldn't take you so lightly,'' Tikki said in an encouraging tone. Bridgette nodded, focusing back on the drawing on her tablet.

''Not to mention, there is also the fact that it felt as if my good luck charm stopped working mid-fight, maybe even before that,'' she muttered. Tikki gave her a weird look, but didn't say anything. ''I mean, I didn't expect it to work immediately, but still, I had hoped it would give me the edge necessary to defeat the Mime.'' She glanced at Tikki with a downcast look on her expression, her ahoge drooped. ''Tell me, Tikki, am I doing something wrong? I really want to get this right and prove myself as Ladybug, and one of the ways to do that is for me to own up to my mistakes.''

''Bri, you aren't doing anything wrong,'' Tikki responded, trying to cheer Bridgette up.

''Then, why did I fail? Is it because I'm inexperienced?'' Bridgette asked.

''While it is true that you still have room to grow and work on your skills, I don't think that this is the case here,'' Tikki replied, giving Bridgette a sympathetic look. ''While the good luck charm is very powerful, it isn't infallible, especially when activated in certain situations.''

''Then, how do I avoid those situations?'' Bridgette asked.

''Well…'' Tikki fell silent, reluctant to give Bridgette an explanation. Bridgette's ahoge curved into a question mark as she stared at Tikki curiously, wondering what the kwami was hiding from her. ''It's… I…''

''I assume it's something you don't want to talk about,'' Bridgette interrupted her.

''It's not that I don't want to talk about it, but…'' Tikki paused, wondering how she should explain things.

''You know, if it makes things easier for you, we can talk about this later,'' Bridgette told her as she put the finishing touches on Allan's avatar image, staring at it for a few moments. Her eyes then widened as she realized something and she smiled. ''Of course! How didn't I think about this earlier?''

''What are you talking about?'' Tikki asked. Bridgette quickly saved the drawing she was working on and put her tablet to the side, pushing herself away from the desk and starting to rummage through the drawers, searching for something.

''You'll see…'' Bridgette replied, eventually pulling out a plastic folder, a pencil and several markers. She opened the folder, revealing a set of collage paper in different colours and started flipping through them, eventually settling on a dark grey and cream variant and reaching for the scissors. ''Last time, I tried to give Félix a letter that expressed how I felt about him, but that didn't go well. This time, I'm going to make a card, but instead of a confession, it'll be a bit simpler.''

Tikki observed Bridgette as she cut out two rectangles, the dark grey one being smaller, and glued them together, then grabbed her notebook and started to draw in it with her pencil, erasing and re-drawing a chibified version of herself until she was satisfied with how it turned out, then copying the drawing on the card. Once done, she started to colour it in with the markers. Tikki flew closer, tilting her head in curiosity and attempting to read what Bridgette wrote next to the drawing in her favorite rose gold marker.

'' _'I understand that there is something troubling you and that you need your space. Still, I will be there for you if you need someone who'd listen to you. Love, Bri.'_ ,'' Tikki read as Bridgette finished the card by drawing a rose gold heart in the corner and started to colour it in, leaving a dark grey flower pattern inside it, which she then coloured in with a black marker. ''It looks really cute.''

''Thanks,'' Bridgette replied, reaching for the drawer again and pulling out a clear plastic cover and measuring it against the card. She had planned to use it for safe-keeping until she could give the card to Félix the next day at school. ''Hopefully, Félix will be able to read it. I don't want it to get ruined again.''

''If you want, I could keep it safe for you,'' Tikki suggested.

''Thanks, Tikki,'' Bridgette replied, leaning the card against a shelf on her desk. ''Also, make sure to remind me tomorrow to not forget to bring this card.''

''Don't worry, you can count on me!'' Tikki replied, saluting. Bridgette nodded, grabbing her tablet and opening the file with Allan's commission and e-mailing it to him. She then glanced at her smartphone, checking the time.

''We'll be going on a patrol soon,'' she said. ''Although, this one will be short, that is, unless something happens.''

''Why?'' Tikki asked her.

''Well, aside from the fact that I have school tomorrow, there is something I need to get done before I leave,'' Bridgette replied, with Tikki just tilting her head quizzically. Bridgette just smiled. ''You'll see.''

**xXx**

_I'm supposed to be the luckiest person in the world, thanks to the Ladybug Earrings… Then, why don't I feel lucky? Why do I feel as if I'm missing something?_ Ladybug mused as she hopped down from a taller building to a lower one and jumped across onto an apartment complex.

Even though she was once again patrolling the city, she gave up on her plan to ambush the Mime. After what happened last night, she realized that she wasn't dealing with an ordinary criminal and that she needed to change her approach.

 _Considering what had happened last night, it is more likely that the Mime will find me than_ vice versa _._ Ladybug frowned, landing on a building that had a rooftop garden and walking over to the edge, leaning against the railing that surrounded it. A soft breeze blew, ruffling her hair and letting her ribbons flutter. _I cannot predict his movement, meaning that the only thing left is to remain alert, especially if my good luck charm fails again._

She sighed, crossing her arms and leaning her head against the railing and gazing into the distance at the twinkling lights that decorated the streets. She felt quite downcast, sensing the self-doubt bubbling up inside her.

_What should I do?_

Ladybug closed her eyes, trying to relax a little and calm down. Her mind was buzzing with memories and ideas on what her next move should be, but at the moment, she couldn't focus on any of them. She knew that she needed to talk to Tikki about her good luck charm. She knew that she had to prepare herself for school and her meeting with Félix. She knew that she also had to deal with the issue that was the Mime.

Still, despite being aware of what she needed to focus on, she still felt overwhelmed, wondering whether she made a mistake. Ladybug groaned, opening her eyes and squinting as something red obscured her vision. Surprised, she stepped back and looked up, her eyes widening when she saw Chat Noir holding a rose.

''I had figured that this might cheer you up, M'lady,'' he said, smiling. ''You seem to be quite distraught tonight.''

Still stunned, Ladybug glanced around, noticing a potted rose bush nearby. She rose an eyebrow, placing her hands on her hips as she confronted Chat Noir.

''Did you pluck it from that rose bush over there?'' she asked. Chat Noir's ears twitched and his tail flicked as he gave her a sheepish look.

''To be honest, I don't think anyone's going to notice if one goes missing,'' he replied, turning on his charm. ''Besides, even a simple rose like this one cannot compare to your beauty.'' He leaned closer to her, not noticing his ring shimmer. ''Nevertheless, I want you to-''

''Agh!''

Before Chat Noir could finish his sentence, Ladybug stepped back in order to get away for him, only to accidentally trip over an empty pot and fall backwards, landing on her butt. Chat Noir just stared at her in stunned silence and briefly glanced at his ring, confirming his suspicion. Frustrated, he extended his arm to help Ladybug up, but she swatted it away, getting up on her own and looking rather upset.

''M'lady?''

''Chat, I really can't deal with you tonight,'' Ladybug replied in an irritated tone. Chat Noir's ears flattened against his head.

''Why not?'' he asked, sounding quite disappointed. ''Is it because you're still searching for the Mime? Because if so, I…''

''Chat, listen,'' Ladybug interrupted him, with Chat Noir being a little stunned by the seriousness in her tone. ''I'm not planning on searching for the Mime tonight, as I'm already busy with some other stuff. All I want is to get over with this patrol as soon as possible and go home.''

''Don't tell me you already got tired of being a superheroine,'' Chat Noir replied, only to realize a moment later that that was the wrong thing to say. Ladybug huffed, glaring at him for a moment before leaping off the building, leaving him behind. Chat Noir frowned, throwing away the rose. ''Great, now I've done it.''

He followed Ladybug, well aware that she was in a bad mood and that he probably should stop pestering her. Still, he hoped that he would find a way to get back into her good graces. Every moment he didn't interact with her felt like a moment wasted. He couldn't afford any missed opportunities.

Eventually, he caught up with her, finding her standing on a balcony and looking at her reflection in a darkened window. Ladybug lifted her hand, touching her earrings, which shimmered, only for the shimmer to fade when Chat Noir landed gracefully on the railing next to her. She frowned, glaring at Chat Noir, who had a puzzled look on his expression.

''Would you stop following me?!'' she growled, her outburst startling Chat Noir. A moment later, her angry expression changed and she lowered her head, seemingly regretful about yelling at him.

''Ladybug, what's wrong?'' Chat Noir asked, his ears twitching and his tail lowered. Ladybug took a deep breath, clenching her fist and looked up, a firm look on her expression, her ahoge frizzled.

''I had already told you, I'm not going to deal with your antics tonight,'' she told him. ''Besides, you have already done enough damage last night. Do you really want to try your luck tonight as well?''

Chat Noir's eyes widened in shock and he stared at Ladybug, speechless. Ladybug turned around and leaped off the balcony, vanishing from his line of sight.

 _''Someone's moody,''_ Plagg commented, chuckling. _''If you ask me, going after for her will probably result in you getting punched.''_

''Thanks for the support, Plagg,'' Chat Noir replied sarcastically.

 _''You're welcome,''_ Plagg replied cheekily. Chat Noir rolled his eyes and leaped off the balcony, making his way onto another building. He had already enough on his plate and he didn't want to deal with Plagg teasing him.

''Do you think she knows?'' Chat Noir asked as he landed on the rooftop, glancing at his ring. Ladybug's words still echoed in his head, making him feel restless.

 _''I'm not sure, but I do believe that she is aware that something is amiss,''_ Plagg replied. _''I guess it was just a matter of time before she figures it out.''_

''I'd rather have her figure it out after she takes the curse off me,'' Chat Noir replied.

 _''Unfortunately, Kid, I can't help you with that. If she decides to kiss you, that's entirely up to her, and only up to her, since a stolen kiss doesn't count,''_ Plagg replied. _''Who knows, maybe she'll give you one out of pity.''_

''I doubt that,'' Chat Noir said, vaulting over a chimney stack and landing on another rooftop. ''I haven't exactly made a great first impression on her.''

 _''Then, how about a change of approach?''_ Plagg suggested as Chat Noir sat down, leaning against the chimney stack and staring at the ring, having leaned his elbow against his knee, while his other leg was outstretched _. ''Instead of trying to impress her with words, you could let your actions speak for you.''_

''May I remind you that that's what I did the last night and the result was a complete disaster?'' Chat Noir replied, his tail flicking. He closed his eyes, adding in a dismissive tone, ''Besides, she made it clear that she doesn't want to have a partner.''

 _''So, you're just going to give up?''_ Plagg asked in a flat tone.

''Of course not,'' Chat Noir replied in an irritated tone, then took a moment to calm down. ''I may not be lucky, but that doesn't mean that I cannot come up with a good plan on how to approach her.'' He looked up, gazing into the distance. ''I need to figure out what makes her tick and start from there. I already know that she is fine with being a superheroine and protecting Paris on her own, but she isn't used to it yet.'' The corners of his mouth curved up slightly as a memory of Ladybug blushing entered his mind. ''Not to mention, she seems to have quite a temper, but can get flustered when the right buttons are pushed. I should use that knowledge to my advantage.'' He fell silent for a moment, musing. ''In the end, I need to gain her trust first, as I won't be able to do anything else if she isn't willing to lower her guard around me.''

 _''It won't be easy, though,''_ Plagg told him.

''I don't mind a challenge,'' Chat Noir said confidently, his green eyes gleaming in anticipation.

**xXx**

''Huh? Good morning, Bridgette,'' Mei said as she walked into the kitchen the next morning, greeted by the scent of baked goods and seeing her granddaughter pouring tea into a thermos bottle. ''You're up early.''

''I had to get up early,'' Bridgette replied, pointing out the two plastic bags filled with cookies, one of which was tied up with a fancy red ribbon. Mei rose an eyebrow, giving Bridgette a curious look. ''Don't worry, I cleaned up everything once I was done.''

''Is there a reason you baked cookies?'' Mei asked Bridgette, who walked over to her backpack, placing the thermos bottle and the bags with the cookies in her backpack. She yawned, stretching her arms.

''Well… I considered sharing them with my friends,'' Bridgette replied sheepishly, grabbing her backpack.

''Really?'' Mei asked suspiciously. ''So, you have no other reason for going through the trouble of getting up early in the morning and baking cookies?''

''…No?'' Bridgette replied, despite knowing that she couldn't fool her grandmother. Mei sighed, crossing her arms.

''Bridgette, I wasn't born yesterday,'' she replied, with Bridgette giving her a look of guilt. ''You may say that you made it for your friends, but I'm fairly certain that one of those bags is for that boy you told me about.''

''Fine, you got me,'' Bridgette replied in a resigned tone. ''I met Félix when I and Claude were walking along the Seine and he seemed to be really upset. I figured that I could surprise him with cookies today.''

''You want to give him a gift that is a sign of closeness, yet you don't even interact as friends,'' Mei mused, shaking her head. ''I told you that umbrella was a bad omen. Your relationship will break apart before it even had time to form.''

''Gran Mei, I know that things don't look well, but I am certain that this will work,'' Bridgette replied, slinging the backpack over her shoulder. ''Félix isn't the type of person who'd want to be close friends with anyone and I'm not expecting him to open up easily.''

''Fine, but I don't want you to lose sleep over something that troubles you, especially if it could've been easily avoided,'' Mei replied. _''Not good starter, not good end.''_

''I know, but I'd rather live by the proverb _one step, one footprint_ ,'' Bridgette replied, waving as she left. ''Bye!''

Mei sighed, shaking her head as she opened the fridge. To be fair, she did trust her granddaughter to be independent and think for herself, but at times, she sensed that she'd have to intervene just to guide Bridgette back on the right path. Still, she had to admire Bridgette's determination. Despite all the bad luck she had, she refused to give up.

**xXx**

''So, when do you plan to give Félix your card and the cookies?'' Tikki asked as she popped her head out of Bridgette's backpack. She was holding the card Bridgette made, making sure that it wouldn't get bent or damaged in any way.

''I had hoped that I would find him before classes start,'' Bridgette replied. ''Hopefully, there won't be any mishaps that would ruin everything.''

Tikki rose an eyebrow, glancing at Bridgette's earrings. They weren't glowing, which Tikki took as a good sign. While Bridgette did promise her to not use the good luck charm for selfish purposes, Tikki did remind her to not rely on it when giving Félix her gift.

_''There is no way of telling what might happen if they get misused, even if you have the best intentions on your mind.''_

_''I understand.''_

_Nevertheless, that doesn't mean that your powers won't leak into your daily life._ Tikki smiled when she saw Bridgette stopping at the school entrance, her ahoge curving up into a heart shape when she saw Félix walking up to her. He didn't appear to have noticed her.

''Here you go,'' Tikki whispered as she held up the card for Bridgette to take, then diving back into the backpack and emerging with the bag of cookies.

''Thanks, Tikki,'' Bridgette whispered back and turned towards Félix, who had finally noticed her presence. He didn't look happy. ''Hi, Félix! How are doing?''

Bridgette approached him, with Félix giving her a dubious look.

''I'm doing fine,'' he replied curtly, his eyes narrowing. _Or rather, I was doing fine until you arrived._

''That's good to hear,'' Bridgette replied, completely ignoring the cold look Félix gave her. She then held out both of her hands, revealing the bag of cookies and card she made for him, and smiled. ''I have noticed that you looked quite upset when we met at the Seine, so I thought I could do something to cheer you up.

''I don't-''

''Please, I insist,'' Bridgette cut Félix off, holding her hands up and lowering her head, avoiding eye-contact with Félix, her cheeks turning a slight shade of red. ''You don't have to say or do anything in return. I just want you to accept my gift.''

''If you promise to leave me alone for the rest of the day.'' Bridgette looked up, a little hurt by his gruff tone, but then nodded.

''Okay,'' she said as Félix took the bag and the card. She then tilted her head, adding in a hopeful tone. ''Do you at least want to walk with me to class?''

''No.''

''Oh,'' Bridgette muttered, feeling discouraged, her ahoge drooping. However, she still cracked a smile. ''Then, see you at class.''

She then left, with Félix waiting until she had entered the building. He looked down at the bag of cookies, noticing that they were of the homemade kind, with a neat red ribbon wrapped on the top. The card Bridgette gave him appeared to be handmade as well, with a little drawing of a chibi version of her and a heart in the corners.

'' _'I understand that there is something troubling you and that you need your space. Still, I will be there for you if you need someone who'd listen to you. Love, Bri.'_ ,'' he read it, rising an eyebrow. ''Why is she so persistent? I just don't understand.''

''Maybe it's because she likes you,'' Plagg said in a snarky tone, popping his head out of Félix's backpack.

''Shockingly, I already know that,'' Félix replied in a deadpan tone, with Plagg giving him a weird look. He then reached for his backpack, taking out one of his books and placing the card inside it.

''I'm surprised that you didn't throw it away,'' Plagg said.

''I may not like Bridgette's advances, but that doesn't mean that I cannot appreciate her hard work,'' Félix replied. ''Besides, I needed a bookmark.''

''Riiiight…'' Plagg replied, noticing Félix glaring at him. He gave the teen a wide cheeky grin, which earned him an eye-roll. Félix then turned his attention to the cookies, unwrapping the bag and taking one out, eating it. The cookie was still warm, the chocolate melting on his tongue. He had to admit that it was quite tasty. He smiled slightly, only for the smile to turn into a frown when he saw Plagg staring at him with a knowing grin.

''Don't say anything,'' he said in a threatening tone, but unfortunately for him, the kwami was more amused than scared.

Meanwhile, Bridgette was on her way towards her classroom, still feeling a little dispirited. She had hoped that Félix would actually talk to her a bit longer, but she was still glad that he had accepted her gift.

''I'm sorry that it didn't go the way you had planned it,'' Tikki said, loud enough for only Bridgette to hear her as she stayed hidden in the backpack.

''It's fine,'' Bridgette replied. ''I just hope that it will make him feel better.'' She had entered the locker room and opened her locker, looking around in order to make sure that no one was close to her or looking in her direction. She placed her backpack in the locker and opened it further in order to let Tikki poke her head out. ''If anything, I had at least managed to deliver the card and cookies, so I can tick that off my list.''

''So, what's your next plan?'' Tikki asked. Bridgette's eyes narrowed as she picked up the books for her next class, stuffing them into her backpack.

''I still have to confront Chat Noir,'' she said grimly, with Tikki giving her a nervous look. ''After all, bad things happen whenever he's around.''

**xXx**

_Maybe I could make a meal for Ladybug, some kind of romantic dinner. After all, if the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then the same might be true for a woman, right?_ Chat Noir mused, taking a bite out of the cookie he had brought along. He was sitting on the rooftop of a building, his feet dangling over the edge, and thought about how he could approach Ladybug in a way that would make her trust him. _Although, I believe I should start with something smaller, maybe gifiting her a chocolate bar. Does she even like sweets?_

Even though he did accept Bridgette's gift, he drew a line at talking to her more than necessary. He wasn't interested in socializing with her, or anyone for that matter. Still, he would be lying if he said that her gift didn't give him a few ideas for his future interactions with Ladybug.

''Although, I first have to convince her to talk to me without scolding me,'' Chat Noir muttered, eating the rest of the cookie. His ears twitched as he heard someone landing right behind him and quickly turned around, getting up. To his surprise, the intruder was Ladybug. ''M'lady?''

''I guess you didn't expect me to search for you,'' Ladybug said, crossing her arms.

''Admittedly, I didn't, but I'm really happy to see you, Ladybug,'' Chat Noir replied in a relieved tone, only to notice Ladybug glaring at him. His ears lowered and he gave her a nervous look. ''What's wrong?''

''I have a few questions for you,'' Ladybug said in a firm tone, with Chat Noir having a bad feeling about this. ''For starters, in case you didn't know, my powers manifest as a good luck charm. However, I have noticed that, last night and especially the night before, whenever I had activated my powers, it stopped working the moment you appeared. That was particularly evident during the fight with the Mime, because I had managed to stand my ground, at least until you appeared. Then, everything went downhill.''

''Uh, well…'' Chat Noir took a step back when Ladybug suddenly stepped forward, giving her a nervous look and holding up his hands in defense.

''Not to mention the mishap last night, where I just so tripped over a random pot for no reason,'' Ladybug added, taking another step forward, with Chat Noir taking a step backwards, with a sense of dread pulsing through his chest. ''I may have my moments of clumsiness, but that one felt deliberate.''

''Uh, I- agh!'' Chat Noir hadn't noticed his ring shimmering for a brief moment, suddenly causing him to lose balance and almost fall off the building, forcing Ladybug to grab his arm and pull him back, leaning close to him.

''Then, there is the fact that I am aware that a _black cat_ is usually a sign of _bad luck_ ,'' she added, glaring at him. Chat Noir froze up, staring at Ladybug in terror. Despite trying to keep a calm demeanor, inwardly, he was freaking out.

_There's no way she knows about the curse, right?! This has to be some kind of bad dream!_

''So, what do you have to say for yourself?'' Ladybug let go of his arm and stepped back, giving him some breathing space.

Chat Noir stared at her, trying to figure out what he should say. Should he lie and hope that Ladybug would buy it or should he tell her the entire truth and watch his only chance to be freed from his curse crumble into dust? Fortunately, there was some middle ground for him to work on, without having to reveal anything.

''Fine,'' he said, sighing in defeat. ''I admit, unlike you, my powers manifest as a bad luck curse. Essentially, I cause misfortune wherever I go and sometimes my bad luck activates whether I want it or not.'' He crossed his arms, his tail flicking. ''It also seems to be powerful enough to cancel out your good luck.''

''I see,'' Ladybug muttered, glaring at Chat Noir. ''Why didn't you tell me about it before?''

''I figured that there was no need for telling you anything,'' Chat Noir replied, frowning.

''Seriously? Because I believe that there was indeed a need for you telling me about your bad luck curse,'' Ladybug replied, feeling quite annoyed. ''I thought that the reason for why I made all those mistakes was my own incompetence, but as it turned out, it was because of _you_.'' She huffed. ''Instead of a _Maneki Neko_ , I get a cursed cat.''

''I figured that it would be obvious- Wait, _Maneki Neko_?'' Chat Noir gave her a puzzled look.

''You know, the Beckoning Cat?'' Ladybug held up her hand next to her head and did a beckoning motion. ''While they're commonly a symbol of good fortune, the individual variants have their own meanings, with the black _Maneki Neko_ being known to ward off evil spirits.'' She placed her hand on her hip. ''Unfortunately, the only thing you are going to ward off is my good luck.''

''As you said, it is unfortunate, but this _is_ my power and an ability I got used to in the past weeks,'' Chat Noir replied, pointing with his thumb at himself, his other hand placed on his hip. ''This black cat has the whole package – the black suit, the attractive appearance and the bad luck.''

''Right, but this ladybug will have to refuse the offered package,'' Ladybug replied. Chat Noir's ears flattened against his head as he gave her a disheartened look. ''Look, I told you from the very start that I'd rather work alone and I'm not going to change my mind. I can already imagine how things would turn out, where I try to patrol the city, only for you to appear out of nowhere and, due to your bad luck, wreck whatever task I wanted to get done.'' She turned around and walked away, briefly turning her head back. ''I think it would be for the best if we go our separate ways. Goodbye, Chat Noir!''

She then left, leaping off the building. Chat Noir gazed at Ladybug, lowering his head once she was out of his sight. He frowned, clenching his clawed hand into a fist, shaking. He knew that the situation wasn't as bad as he feared it would be, but still, all of his effort was undone in one single confession and he doubted that Ladybug would be willing to give him an opportunity to prove himself – all thanks to his curse.

''Damn it!'' he hissed, feeling quite desperate. _What should I do now?_

**xXx**

_''I'm sorry that you had to find out about Chat Noir's bad luck powers this way,''_ Tikki said regretfully. _''I should've said something.''_

''Honestly, at this point, it doesn't matter,'' Ladybug said, feeling rather frustrated. ''I had already made it clear that I don't want to work with Chat Noir. If anything, this reveal just cemented my decision.''

 _''I guess that's for the better,''_ Tikki replied. _''Chat Noir's powers are too unpredictable and you are still learning how to use yours.''_

''Exactly,'' Ladybug replied, landing on another building and looking around. Fortunately, Chat Noir seemed to have given up on following her.

Unknown to her, someone else had been hiding in the shadows, observing her. Someone who had more sinister intentions.

The Mime stepped out, holding up his arm as an invisible sledgehammer appeared in his hand and looked at Ladybug, confident that, this time, he would eliminate her.


	6. Never Lose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm back with another chapter!
> 
> So, all I have to say about this one is that it's the last chapter of the Introduction Arc, which was supposed to give you insight about the PV reality and how it differs from the actual show. This chapter also has the infamous battle between the Mime and Ladybug from the PV Trailer.
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy it and thank you for your support!
> 
> EDIT 26.2: I will be on a break next week as I need to recharge due to feeling symptoms of a burnout, so I won't be posting any chapters next Thursday/Friday. Instead, I will make an update post on my Profile, where you can check what story/chapter I will be working on the week after. See ya!

**Entry 5**

**Never Lose**

_''Because I feel false-seeming stories on my skin, I will be the one to rewrite destiny and never ever lose. 'Make the impossible possible'. 'Fall down and stand up again'. My heart is surely burning blue, my passion won't fade away.''_

_– **Never Lose** by Ace Attorney_

**xXxXxXx**

_''The way things are now, this night will only get worse.''_

''I hate to say it, but I agree with you,'' Chat Noir muttered, landing on all fours on the top of a chimney stack, his tail flicking, and added in a bitter tone, ''There is no reason for her to even _consider_ me as a partner, now that she knows about my bad luck.''

 _''So, now what?''_ Plagg asked. _''What are you going to do?''_

''I'm not sure,'' Chat Noir replied, his eyes narrowing and his ears lowering. He sighed, lowering his head. ''Nevertheless, I'm not someone who gives up so easily.'' He lifted his head, his ears pointing up, his eyes gleaming. ''The night is still young, isn't it?''

 _''Let me guess – you're up to some mischief, aren't you?''_ Plagg asked.

''I wouldn't call it mischief,'' Chat Noir replied nonchalantly, his tail flicking. A small grin formed on his lips, a fang poking out of the corner of his mouth.

 _''Call it whatever you want, Kid, but I know you better than you think,''_ Plagg replied in a mischievous tone. _''Let's go!''_

Chat Noir snorted, not missing the eager tone in Plagg's voice. Despite his reservations, he had to admit that being Chat Noir had its perks and that Plagg's carefree and troublemaker attitude did rub off him. Wearing a mask made it only easier for him to act differently, to explore what he could do without being judged.

Félix was the prim and proper one, the one who followed rules without a question; the one who kept to himself, a bookworm who refused to socialize and was seen as a jerk, even earning himself the nickname _Ice Prince_. Chat Noir, on the other hand, was the rebellious one, the one who didn't care about following rules; a wild stray black cat who brought bad luck to those he encountered, having the freedom to go wherever he wanted and do whatever he wanted; always hidden in the cover of the night.

''I'm certainly not done yet,'' Chat Noir said, leaping off the building.

**xXx**

Ladybug clenched her fists, carefully observing her surroundings. She felt the hair on the back of her neck standing up, even though she didn't know why. Despite the fact that everything was rather calm and quiet, she sensed that she may not have been alone after all.

_I swear, if Chat Noir decided to follow me again…_

Ladybug heard someone land behind her and, without thinking, turned around and jumped back, somersaulting over her opponent and nearly missing being crushed with an invisible sledgehammer. While still in mid-air, she kicked at her opponent, the Mime, but he turned around, blocking the attack with his sledgehammer. After landing on the rooftop, Ladybug turned around and jumped again, trying to land another kick, but the Mime blocked it.

Laybug stepped back, seeing the Mime charge at her, lifting his sledgehammer up, the weapon's shadow being visible on the wall next to them. Ladybug took a few steps back in order to avoid the sledgehammer, holding up her hands in a battle stance, only for her blood to run cold when she realized that her back was touching a wall.

_Oh, no…_

She took a brief glance, confirming the fact that she was cornered against a chimney stack and looked back, her eyes widening in surprise and her back and arms pressed against the wall.

''Agh!''

The Mime slammed the sledgehammer into the chimney stack, but Ladybug managed to duck, causing the chimney stack to be destroyed, with dust and debris flying around. Ladybug leaped out of the smoke with a look of panic on her expression.

_That was close!_

She managed to land next to another chimney stack, turning back and seeing the Mime charging at her. She leaped backwards, somersaulting and landing on the chimney stack, then jumped over the Mime.

''Take this!''

She somersaulted mid-air, attempting to land a hard kick on the Mime, but unfortunately for her, he defended himself with his sledgehammer again, holding it up with both hands, with rainbow sparks flying everywhere, outlining the weapon. Ladybug gritted her teeth.

_Let's see who'll last longer!_

She used the sledgehammer as a stepping stone, trying to land a kick with her other foot, but the Mime backed away and swung again with his other hand, with Ladybug jumping off the sledgehammer, somersaulting and landing on the roof yet again. She then lunged at him, her next kick being blocked by the sledgehammer once more. The Mime swung upwards with his other hand, only for Ladybug to use the sledgehammer as a stepping stone again, gaining height and kicking at him. The Mime dodged, stepping to the side, with Ladybug attempting to land another kick, only to miss when her opponent dodged again.

''Haaagrh!''

She kicked again, but her attack was blocked. The Mime went into the offensive, holding now two sledgehammers in each of his hands and charging at her. Ladybug leaped back, dodging his attacks and landing on another chimney stack, which the Mime destroyed.

_Damn it! So close!_

Ladybug jumped off, creating some distance between herself and the Mime. Her eyes narrowed as she observed her opponent, who turned around, seemingly planning his next move. Rest assured, this battle was far from over.

**xXx**

Chat Noir's ears twitched as he heard a strange sound.

''What was that?'' he muttered, frowning and figuring that he should investigate it. _If Ladybug is somehow involved…_ While he knew that Ladybug would be angry at him for appearing, he still figured that he should at least check on her, making sure that nothing happened to her. _If she somehow encountered the Mime again…_ Even though his primary focus was gaining Ladybug's trust, he did take note of their opponent, realizing that the Mime was someone who shouldn't be underestimated. _She might need my help!_

His ears twitched again as he heard an explosion-like sound and his eyes widened as he ran faster, making his way across another rooftop and landing on a chimney, staring at the furious battle below him. His instincts were correct – Ladybug had ran into the Mime again.

He observed the Mime and Ladybug suddenly charging at each other, the Mime clutching tightly the dual sledgehammers in his hands. The collision was inevitable, but Chat Noir had a bad feeling that it wouldn't be the Mime who'd take the brunt of it.

''Ladybug!'' he cried out in fear and panic.

However, instead of serving as a warning, his cry startled Ladybug, who glanced at him mid-charge, getting distracted. The Mime, who was solely focused on his opponent, swung at her with one of his sledgehammers. Fortunately, Ladybug managed to look back just in time, feeling her arm getting scraped just as she dodged the attack.

She retaliated by delivering another kick, which was blocked by the other sledgehammer. She then quickly crouched, swinging her leg, with the Mime jumping to dodge it. This was a mistake, as Ladybug dropped into a two-handed handstand position, using her arms as a spring and delivering a devastating kick to the Mime's exposed stomach, causing him to stumble back. She then jumped back on her feet, turning towards Chat Noir, glaring at him.

''Don't interfere!'' she yelled angrily.

Chat Noir remained speechless, not moving from where he was standing at. He stared in shock as Ladybug turned towards the Mime, who had recovered from the kick and attempted to land a hit on his own. Ladybug dodged it, reaching for the compact around her waist, and went for another kick, which was again blocked. The Mime gave her a confident look, as if telling her that this wouldn't work again, only for Ladybug to attempt to land another kick, which was blocked again.

As Ladybug somersaulted over the Mime, he noticed a black string tied around the sledgehammers, which were forcibly yanked out of his hands. As he turned around, he saw Ladybug swinging the yo-yo, the sledgehammers still attached to it and slammed it right into him, knocking him over. The string around the sledgehammers loosened as they disappeared, with Ladybug returning the yo-yo to its compact form and waiting intently for Mime's next move, taking a battle stance.

The Mime stared at her, a calculating look on his expression, then glanced briefly at Chat Noir, as if daring him to join the battle, despite Ladybug's earlier warning. However, he didn't move. Ladybug, on the other hand, did. She charged at the Mime, who pulled out another sledgehammer in order to defend himself.

He then stepped forward and swung the sledgehammer at Ladybug, who dodged it by leaping backwards, then charged right back. The Mime attempted to land a hit, but Ladybug dodged in the last second, rising her knee in the next and landing a blow on the Mime's chin. This stunned him long enough for Ladybug to land a punch to the gut, followed by a blow of Ladybug's staff to the chest that sent him flying.

Ladybug turned the staff back into a compact and took a battle stance, waiting for the Mime's next move. The latter was on his knees, rubbing his jaw, with a tiny trail of blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth. He glared at Ladybug, slowly getting up and holding something in his hand. Ladybug glanced at the shadows, realizing that it was a familiar cylindrical object. She charged at the Mime, but had already dropped it, causing smoke to erupt from the spot he was standing at.

Ladybug turned the compact into a yo-yo, throwing it at him in hopes of hitting him, but the yo-yo went right through the smoke, dissipating it. As she pulled it back, the Mime was already gone.

Ladybug was breathing deeply, feeling her heart race as she recovered from the battle. Frankly, while she wasn't happy that the Mime had escaped, she counted it as a win, as she managed to make him retreat.

Her eyes then narrowed as she looked up, noticing that Chat Noir was still observing her, a stunned look on his expression. They were both silent, staring at each other, waiting for some kind of response. When there wasn't any, Ladybug turned around and leaped off the rooftop. Chat Noir didn't follow her, opting to observe her as she left.

Once she vanished from his sight, he jumped on the rooftop on which the fight took place and looked around. Admittedly, there was some collateral damage, but given what the Mime was capable of, it could've been much worse.

''That was… something,'' Chat Noir muttered, remembering the look Ladybug gave him. She made it more than clear that was quite competent on her own. Whether it was her good luck charm or her own skills, she didn't need his help.

_''Don't interfere!''_

Chat Noir clenched his fists as he heard Ladybug's voice echo in his head. He had hoped that he'd be able to prove himself through this battle, that he would show Ladybug that he could be a reliable partner, but instead, Ladybug had shown him that she had no need for a partner and that she was capable to fighting her battles on her own.

 _She wasn't just showing the Mime that she was indeed a threat, but telling me that she could stand on her own just fine._ Chat Noir's eyes narrowed as he felt a sense of emptiness spreading through his body.

 _''Don't tell me that you're giving up.''_ Chat Noir's ears twitched as he heard Plagg, picking up the hint of worry in his teasing tone. He snorted.

''No, of course not,'' Chat Noir replied. ''It's just… I need a moment to think this through.''

 _''Not that there is much to think about,''_ Plagg interrupted him, drawing Chat Noir's ire.

''I know, but nevertheless, maybe things don't have to end on such note,'' he replied, crossing his arms and tilting his head, smiling. ''The fact that she managed to figure things out in such a short time is quite impressive. If anything, this situation only got more interesting.''

**xXx**

''I'm just glad that classes are finally over.'' Bridgette stretched her arms, her and Sophie walking down the hallway towards the locker room. Fortunately, today, she had managed to get enough sleep, even though she still protested against getting out of her bed. Despite being successful in her battle against the Mime, the fight did wear her out.

''I wouldn't be so relieved if I were you,'' Sophie replied. ''Have you already forgotten about that essay we have to write?''

''No, I didn't,'' Bridgette replied, giving her a sheepish look. ''Although, telling us that we are free to choose any book written by a French author and give a commentary on the themes in it does sound like a loophole waiting to happen, especially since we didn't get any list. Have you even decided which one you're going to pick?''

''Maybe, but that's left up to the teacher and you know that Mme. Cartier wants us to do independent research,'' Sophie replied. ''As for the book, I had already decided on _Le Père Goriot_ by Honoré de Balzac. It is pretty depressing, but that's realism for you. Besides, the criticism on society practically writes itself. What about you?''

''Honestly, I'm not sure,'' Bridgette replied as they entered the locker room, with both walking over to Sophie's locker. ''I did think about several novels, but I can't really make up my mind. I'll be probably spending the whole day at the library picking one.''

''Really?'' Sophie rose an eyebrow, giving Bridgette a mischievous look. ''Are you sure you're not going to stay at the library because of a certain blond bookworm?''

''Unfortunately, I won't,'' Bridgette replied, clasping her hands on her back. ''Besides, I don't even know whether he'll be there.''

''I wouldn't be so doubtful,'' Sophie replied, opening her locker and rummaging through her messenger bag, taking out a fashion magazine. ''Could you hold this for me?''

''Sure,'' Bridgette replied, taking the magazine and looked at it. ''Is it this month's issue?''

''Yeah,'' Sophie replied, taking out a book from her locker. ''I've been looking through it for some information about the upcoming Autumn Fashion Collection. Going by the interview, people seem to be most looking forward to is Monsieur Agreste's part of the show, as there hadn't been any information on what to expect from him.''

''I'm not surprised, especially considering what Amber had told us about him,'' Bridgette replied. ''It is a bit shocking to know that one of the most famous fashion designers is related to Félix.''

''I'm more shocked that Amber was the one who gave us the intel,'' Sophie replied in a deadpan tone.

''I wouldn't be as shocked as you are, Renard.'' Bridgette and Sophie turned their heads, seeing Amber approaching them. ''You know well that my mother is also a fashion designer, meaning it wouldn't be too surprising if she did a collaboration with Monsieur Agreste, despite the fact that he was a complete nightmare to work with.''

''What happened?'' Sophie asked curiously. Amber smirked, obviously delighted about dragging the two into a conversation peppered with gossip.

''Let's just say that Monsieur Agreste is a cold, ruthless man who only cares about his reputation,'' she said. ''One has to always be alert in the cut-throat world of fashion, not that you would know it, and this man is the type of person who can intimidate anyone and take control of anything in any type of situation.''

''If that's what he is like in public, one has to wonder what he is like in private,'' Bridgette mused.

''Probably just as unpleasant, if not worse,'' Amber replied, folding her arms and taking a look at her nails, then gave Bridgette a devious grin. ''At least we know why the Ice Prince behaves the way he does.''

''Only because Félix prefers to keep to himself doesn't mean that he's just like his uncle,'' Bridgette replied in a defensive tone.

''Keep telling yourself that, Cheng,'' Amber replied, with Bridgette glaring at her. ''You know, I don't mind you assuming the best in people, as it makes things much funnier when you get hit by the hard, cold truth. The face you make when your hope gets shattered into tiny pieces is just hilarious.''

Bridgette didn't respond, glaring daggers at Amber instead. The latter seemed to be quite amused, waving as she left the locker room.

''You know, I kind of hate to say it, but Amber isn't exactly wrong about the whole Félix situation,'' Sophie told Bridgette once Amber was out of earshot, closing her locker. ''He isn't doing himself much of a favour by acting so cold towards others.''

''I'm sure that he has his reasons for that,'' Bridgette replied. Sophie shrugged, taking the fashion magazine back from Bridgette.

''Who knows,'' she said. ''Anyways, I wish you luck with your book search.''

''Thanks,'' Bridgette replied, with her earrings giving off a barely noticeable shimmer. ''Also, I wish _you_ luck with that dress you're working on. You said you had a bit of a block.''

''I did, but now, I do feel that I can come up with a good design,'' Sophie replied, waving as she left. ''I will send you a screenshot once I'm done. Bye, Bri!''

''Bye, Soph!'' Bridgette replied, walking over to her own locker as Sophie left the room. As she lowered her backpack, Tikki's head popped out of it.

''I have to admit, that was a nice thing to do for your friend,'' Tikki said.

''What do you mean?'' Bridgette asked, with Tikki giving her a curious look. ''Wait, you want to say- Honestly, I wasn't even aware-''

''As I had said, the good luck charm of the Ladybug Earrings will leak into your daily life,'' Tikki replied, smiling. ''Even if you didn't say it, you wanted to help your friend in some way and the Miraculous responded.''

''That's great, but I guess that the Miraculous won't help me with my assignment,'' Bridgette replied.

''Unfortunately, it won't,'' Tikki replied. Bridgette shrugged, closing her locker once she took the books she needed and made her way towards the library. However, instead of thinking about the assignment, her mind was occupied with the conversation she had with Sophie and Amber.

Admittedly, she had absolutely no intention to pry into Félix's life, but she did notice that he had never talked about his family situation and was surprised to learn that he lived with his uncle instead with his parents. She did overhear a few people ask him about Gabriel Agreste, mostly due to the latter's fame, but he quickly shut down any conversation about him, refusing to acknowledge their relationship.

Nevertheless, it did make her wonder whether Félix behaved like that because of his uncle's influence or if he was always like that. She was aware that he was also homeschooled, having asked him out of pure curiosity to which school he went before, only to be greeted by a snappy reply. She didn't mind it, figuring that he was just overwhelmed by the sudden change, but that didn't mean that she didn't want to help him, at least in some way.

 _He didn't even approach me about my card. Maybe there really isn't anything he wants to talk about or he feels that I'm not trustworthy enough._ Bridgette's ahoge drooped at the thought. She sighed, having entered the library and strolling between the shelves on the search for a book.

''I guess it became a habit of yours to just follow me around.''

Bridgette suddenly turned around, only to see Félix staring at her coldly. It was quite obvious that he wasn't happy to see her, unlike Bridgette, who gave him a warm smile, her ahoge curving into a heart shape.

''Actually, I'm here to pick up a book for that essay Mme. Cartier gave us,'' Bridgette replied.

Félix stared at her for a moment, his cold gaze unreadable. Bridgette gave him a curious look, wondering what was going through his head.

''Do you at least know what you're going to be writing about?'' he said. Bridgette was a little surprised that he continued the conversation, even noticing a tone of reluctance and regret in his voice.

''To be honest, I don't really know,'' Bridgette admitted innocently. Félix frowned.

''You're hopeless,'' he replied in a deadpan tone. Frankly, Bridgette wanted to puff up her cheeks and pout, retorting how she would find the right book, but then she realized that Félix was indeed right – she had no idea what she was looking for.

''Could you at least help me?'' she asked, earning a stern gaze from Félix. ''I always see you reading some kind of book, so I figured you'd be an expert when it comes to literature.''

''Flattery will get you nowhere,'' Félix replied calmly, walking away and vanishing behind the bookshelf.

''Wait, I wasn't-'' Bridgette followed him around the bookshelf, only to get cut off.

''It all depends on what kind of topic you want to cover,'' Félix added in an informative tone, focusing on the books on the shelf. ''Each book carries its own message, leaving it to the reader to find it and interpret it. If you want to write a proper essay, you should find a novel that resonates with your interests.''

''Which book did you choose?'' Bridgette asked.

'' _The Stranger_ by Albert Camus,'' Félix replied, picking a book of the shelf and giving it to Bridgette. ''To quote the author: _'I only meant that the hero of my book is condemned because he does not play the game'_.''

Bridgette glanced at the book Félix gave her, her ahoge curving into a question mark. ''Huh? _Candide, ou l'Optimisme_ by Voltaire.''

''If I were to pick a book for you, I'd take one that criticizes perpetual optimism,'' Félix added in a sharp tone. Bridgette's eyes narrowed, with her feeling a little irked. She may have been infatuated with him, but she still recognized his criticism of her.

''I already know what _Candide_ is about and it certainly isn't my cup of tea,'' Bridgette replied in a dry tone, giving Félix the book back. He appeared to be a little surprised by her response, giving her a curious look.

''Then, what are you going to pick?'' Félix asked as Bridgette walked past him, observing the books.

''I'm not sure, but when it comes to making choices, I do trust…'' Bridgette trailed off, her eyes widening in excitement as she found a book with a rather interesting title.

'' _La Bête humaine_ by Émile Zola,'' Félix muttered as he read the cover. He was familiar with the book and, admittedly, a little surprised to see it in the school library. ''I must warn you, that book covers quite dark topics of the mind of a criminal, a murderer, and it is everything but subtle about its message; that message being how there is a beast lurking within every human.''

''Don't worry, I can handle such dark themes,'' Bridgette replied confidently. ''Besides, I do like stories that delve into the psychology of a character and show that there is more to them than it initially seems.''

Félix rose an eyebrow, not being used to seeing Bridgette so determined, unless it was about her own crush on him. _I may be wrong, but did she believe I was challenging her?_ He gave her a questioning look. _It feels as if something changed inside her after my initial recommendation._

The look of confidence was soon replaced by a familiar warm smile, with Félix realizing that Bridgette would be back to her usual antics. Without a word, he walked over to his backpack and slung it over his shoulder.

''Félix?'' Félix turned his head, frowning and wondering what she wanted from him now. ''Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it.''

''Like said, you are a hopeless case,'' Félix replied curtly and was about to leave, only for Bridgette to respond again.

''You know, my favorite book is _Journey to the West_ ,'' she said, walking up to him. ''If you have read it, maybe we could meet up and talk about it-''

''I didn't,'' Félix cut her off, finally leaving. To his relief, Bridgette didn't say anything nor did she follow him. He did sneak a glance back, seeing that she looked quite happy and content, despite his rejection, leaving him puzzled.

**xXx**

Félix's eyes narrowed as he focused on his opponent, who went on the offensive. He held up his arms crossed above his head, catching his opponents strike. His opponent then attempted to punch him with his free hand, only for Félix to grab it and pull his opponent towards him, then kick his opponent in the gut, causing the latter to fall over. He then stepped back, observing his opponent, who got quickly checked on by their sensei. Once he made sure that Félix's opponent was fine, he turned to Félix and the rest of the class.

''This should be enough for today,'' he said. Félix turned to his opponent, with the two quickly bowing to each other and joining the rest of their classmates, who all turned their attention towards their sensei. ''You have all made significant progress in the past months and I believe that some of you are ready to aquire the next rank.''

Félix glanced down at the brown belt that adorned his karategi. He had already been discussing his progress with his sensei, who was quite confident that Félix was ready for the black belt rank. Not only did he show significant control and focus during his sparring matches, but his reaction time was on another level. It also helped that during the past weeks, he spent his time as Chat Noir.

The class bowed one last time and their sensei dismissed them. Walking out of the dojo, Félix went to the lockers room, his mind still focused on the today's lesson. Despite his performance, he knew that there was still room for improvement. His senses weren't as enhanced as he wanted them to be and his punches were still weaker than he desired. While his stance was good enough, he was worried that he might get caught off-balance and lose the match thanks to a lack of foresight on his part.

_You need to be perfect._

Félix shuddered as he heard his uncle's voice echo in his head. No matter what he did, every time he was aware that his performance was less than satisfactory, he could see the image of the old man observing him and criticizing him. He hated it.

Shaking his head, he changed back into his regular clothes, taking his time until he eventually remained the only person in the room. He tried to focus instead on the events from the previous night, only for the image of a disappointed Ladybug to pop into his mind. It didn't make him feel better.

_''Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it.''_

He sighed as Bridgette's words haunted him, wondering why he couldn't get the same kind of reaction from Ladybug. He understood that she was angry at him for hiding his bad luck curse, but he didn't feel like he had much of a choice in the matter. He needed to get ring of and he planned to do it without making Ladybug aware of the curse. However, instead of succeeding, his silence and reluctance to tell her anything made the situation only more complicated.

 _There has to be a way to get her to trust me._ Félix closed his eyes, trying to calm down. _If I want that kiss, then I'll have to up the ante, which means…_

''I know that expression,'' Plagg said, flying out of his backpack, holding up a piece of camembert. ''What are you up to now, Kid?''

''If I have to act as a hero to get Ladybug to kiss me, then I will,'' Félix told him firmly, finishing his thought.

''Whaaaat?!'' Plagg's eyes widened in shock, his jaw dropping and accidentally letting the camembert fall out of his hands.

''You heard me,'' Félix responded calmly. ''Ladybug is focused on being a superheroine and she currently regards me as someone who will get into her way, which isn't incorrect. Therefore, the only way for me to earn her trust is to prove myself as Chat Noir by taking things seriously and taking on the duty as a superhero.''

''You really have some crazy ideas,'' Plagg said, flying down and picking up the camembert, looking quite disappointed when he saw that it was dirty. ''Why do you think that this will even work? You are no hero and you know that.''

''True, but I believe that I can pretend to be one,'' Félix replied. ''I don't mind being Chat Noir for just a little bit longer.''

**xXx**

The man was standing in front of a window, staring at the city below him, his arms folded on his back. He had white hair and white eyes, wearing a white dress suit with a pale tan vest and bow, with a pale silver and purple oval brooch being attached to the bow. He heard someone entering the room, his eyes narrowing, but he didn't address the visitor.

The man who entered the room was the Mime, placing a file on the desk that was in the room. He then stepped back, waiting for the man to respond. Eventually, the man turned around, glancing at the file, his eyes narrowing. He then sat down, opening the file and reading the reports, which also featured photos of two people in red and black suits.

''Ladybug…'' he muttered. ''And Chat Noir…''

He propped his arms against the table and leaned his chin against his entwined hands, observing the reports. The Mime stared at him silently, waiting for a response. The man closed his eyes.

''Do I need to repeat myself?'' he whispered, his voice calm and deep, yet there was a hint of threat in it. ''You know what to do with pests.''

The Mime nodded, leaving the room. The man opened his eyes as he heard the door close, frowning. He stood up, folding his hands on his back and turned towards the window, thinking about the reports he had read. It seemed that these two, Ladybug and Chat Noir, might be a nuisance. Still, as long as they didn't cause any major setbacks to his plans, he didn't care about them.

The man, Gabriel Agreste, reached for the oval brooch on his bowtie, his fingers brushing across it.

_I won't let anyone stand in my way._


End file.
